Black Female

by Kim J. West

  I thought I’d told Jackson not to bother, but I guess he was my security for a reason. “Go on.”

  It was a rented condo and the lease was in Nadine Bishop’s name.”

  My stomach dropped but I kept my composure.

  “So Weiner was working with Nadine?”

  “I would guess so, sir. I have their phone records and they’ve been communicating.”

  “Do you think Nadine is involved with this whole video-taping thing?”

  “Not according to the stripper I hired to entertain him at Teasers last night. He pretty much told her he is about to come into some money and nobody knows. I think Nadine hired him but he has now stiffed her.”

  I called Khan and he answered on the second ring.

  “Khan, terminate Nadine Bishop’s Visa card immediately.” Then I thought for a moment. “Actually, leave it with ninety –nine cents.” After I ended the call, I turned my attention back to Jackson.

  “I’ll be going into the office shortly; I’m off to Miami tomorrow morning,” I told Jackson. “Since the footage has been secured, I’ll leave you to handle the rest of this mess with Khan, McCoy and Weiner.”

  I got changed into my work clothes then called Janice to let her know I was on my way.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I got into work just after 1.00pm and briefly glance around the office for Lena. She was probably out for lunch, but I couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment since I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since Sunday morning. I’d spent the last two days doing everything in my power to ensure she was protected from any scandal; I was hoping this would all be over without me ever having to tell her.

  I phoned McCoy to find out how his final meeting with Weiner had gone. He sounded hesitant.

  “Jonathan, we need to meet and discuss this in person.”

  Damn, it must not have gone well.

  “Well come over to my office,” I suggested.

  Soon after 2.00pm, McCoy was ushered into my office. We sat down then he sighed for a moment.

  “What is it McCoy?” I demanded quite wary about what he had to say.

  “Weiner seemed like he might cave yesterday,” he explained. “But when he came to my office this morning, he was aggressive and angry, claiming you must have broken into his home because some of his stuff is missing. He said the deal to accept a lower figure is off and he brandished a flash drive, claiming he was going to give it to a pirate site for free if he didn’t get two million dollars in cash.”

  I thought Jackson had said he had secured all copies; Weiner must be lying.

  “I think Weiner is bluffing; there is no way he has any more footage.”

  McCoy looked upset. “You should have waited until he’d signed before removing the footage, Jonathan,” he snapped.

  I shrugged. “Look, I think he is lying. Tell him to play it for you to prove authenticity. I bet he doesn’t have it.” I trusted Jackson and felt sure he was right. “And tell him that if he doesn’t sign immediately, the deal is off and we’re no longer interested.”

  “If you’re certain he doesn’t have it, then I’m going to take him down,” he said standing to leave.

  After McCoy left, I had time to think for a moment. Had Jackson managed to search absolutely everything? Perhaps Weiner had another flash drive on his person that they hadn’t found. Shit; there was a small risk that he could be telling the truth. I called Jackson and told him what McCoy had said and he promised to verify.

  Since I was leaving for Miami the next morning, I thought it best to tell Lena tonight, in case the scandal blew in my absence. She’d need to be prepared. I was reluctant to tell her; this information could drive her away from me permanently. But there was no way I’d let that happen. I wanted us to be more and when I got back from Miami, I’d tell her how I felt about her. I sent her a text.

  “My place. Tonight at 6pm. We need to talk.”

  She replied instantly.

  “Can't. Have work tomorrow.”

  She’s not happy. I thought for a few minutes; I’d have to give her a hint that it was prudent for her to show up.

  “It's important. I just had a meeting with my lawyer.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Everything.”

  I went home early to inspect the window tinting job George had arranged before Lena came. When we were together, we always lost control and I wanted to make love to her tonight. I was hungry for her, having missed her since our epic lovemaking on Sunday morning. The thought of seeing her had my body reacting in anticipation. But first we’d talk, and I’d reassure her about this mess; then hopefully make up for the couple of days we’d missed each other.

  I went down my elevator just before 6.00pm to wait for her in the basement parking area. As I saw her driving in, I began to worry about her response to it all. I could lose her tonight from something as stupid as this video footage.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She stepped out of her car and walked towards me, her usual feminine sway causing me to shift on my feet. She was dressed in a black pinstriped skirt and cream blouse, wearing black heels and a purse slung over her shoulder. I watched as she approached.

  "Hi, Mr. Carter,” she quipped. She really didn’t look pleased.

  "Hi Lena,” I replied quietly.

  I ushered her into the lift and led her to my home office. I didn’t want to taint our living areas with any memories of this situation, so the office was the ideal place to discuss it. I’d had a long day and decided to pour myself a glass of Armagnac. I poured one for Lena, hoping it’d soften the blow of my impending revelation. I took a sip as I handed her a glass. I noticed her making a face after taking a sip; perhaps it was a bad choice for her. I should have given her a chardonnay. I sat on the armrest of her double couch, feeling the tension in the room as I debated how to start. Slowly, I set my glass down and turned to her.

  "Lena, I don't want you to worry." I began, leaning forward, resting my arm on my thigh.

  She set her glass down firmly.

  "Jonathan, please just tell me,” she demanded.

  "Lena, it's under control."

  "What? What is under control? What's happening?" I could hear the panic in her voice. I just had to be out with it.

  "The day you came here, almost two weeks ago. We were by the window."

  I looked at her, assessing whether she was keeping up. Surely she remembered us kissing passionately by the large double volume glass windows, then kneeling before me and sucking me off. Just the memory of that day made my life worth living. I refocused and carried on.

  "Someone in another building had a high powered lens..."

  She stood up and began to back away from me, a look of complete horror on her face.

  I continued.

  "They have a video clip of you and me.”

  I couldn’t promise her I’d secured the footage until I got confirmation Weiner was bluffing about the other flash drive.

  I could see she was breathing in shallow pants and fast sinking into a panic.

  "Who has it, Jonathan? Is it the tabloids?" she asked urgently.

  "It's a freelance photographer who is threatening to sell it or make it public unless I make him an offer."

  "You’re being blackmailed?"

  "Yes,” I replied, smiling ruefully.

  I could see her imagining that clip becoming public and all the embarrassment that’d follow. I had to reassure her.

  "Lena sit down, please,” I pleaded.

  She quickly sat down and began rummaging in her purse.

  "How much do they want?” she asked pulling out her checkbook. “Let's give them whatever it is. I could pitch in with a check for five thousand dollars.”

  It broke my heart to hear her say that; I knew for sure I’d have to crush Weiner and break him down to waste products just for Lena offering her savings to pay his ass off.

  "Lena, he wants two million dollars.”

  "Oh m
y God," she exclaimed, standing again shaking like a leaf.

  I went over to her and pulled her into my arms, comforting her.

  "Listen to me,” I assured her, “I said it was under control. I'm taking care of it."

  She looked up at me with such hope in her deep brown eyes, I knew I’d do everything I could to protect her.

  "You’re going to pay him all that money?"

  "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." I didn’t want to discuss any details with her. She just had to trust I’d handle it.

  "Have you seen the footage?"

  "Yes."

  Her legs buckled weakly and I brought her back to the couch and eased her down, holding her to me.

  "It's mostly of me and is rather grainy,” I explained. “You have your back to the camera and only the back of your head is visible. I wasn’t going to tell you about it. I’m only telling you now because I was worried it might leak out that it was you and you’d be unprepared for the ensuing media onslaught."

  She pushed my hands away from her.

  "What if he gets an offer of a higher price than you’re prepared to pay him?"

  I shook my head. “He knows he can't do that legally. He’d be selling pornography without our permission and he knows that criminal charges would be filed as well as a massive lawsuit. So his only option is to talk to me,” I explained grimly.

  "What if he gets hacked and the footage leaks out?"

  "That's why I had to get my people to handle it, to make sure security measures are being taken to secure it."

  "Has your lawyer seen the footage?"

  I looked at her warily. This would upset her; she read the expression on my face and buried her face in her hands.

  "He saw only enough to understand the severity of the situation,” I assured her.

  "Does he know it's me? Did he ask who it was?"

  "All he wanted to know was if I thought the woman in question might be a honey trap working with the photographer. I told him it was impossible. We've known this low-life photographer for a long time. I once broke his camera and had to pay damages. We gave him considerably less than he’d hoped and now he won’t let it go. He's always lurking, waiting to shoot something salacious." I didn’t tell her he got help from a scorned ex-girlfriend.

  She was silent for a moment, thinking about goodness knows what.

  "I'm going to take care of this; I promise. I'm not going to let anybody hurt you in any way."

  She turned to me, with a sad look on her face.

  "I'm sorry this happened, Jonathan. I... I just don't know what to say or do."

  "Just don't let this affect us, that's all. I'm handling it."

  Suddenly she stood up and folded her arms looking at me squarely.

  "Us? Jonathan, there is no ‘us’,” she snapped shaking her head.

  What? I decided not to pay any attention to her outburst. She’d just heard some terrible information and was over-reacting.

  "Yeah... Whatever," I replied dismissively, taking a sip of my Armagnac.

  She looked frustrated.

  "Seriously, we can't do this anymore. Look at the damage we are risking to ourselves, our lives; the company."

  The company? Does she mean the company I own forty percent of?

  "I am the company, Lena. I’m the largest shareholder, so I do as I please," I snapped back.

  "You don't care that it might destroy my career?" she asked in disbelief.

  "Of course I care. But you know we are good together, Lena."

  "Jonathan, do I have to spell it out for you? I don't want to risk your reputation or mine."

  My reputation? I didn’t care about my reputation in the tabloids. All I’d done for the last two days was to protect hers.

  "I'll worry about my reputation, Lena." I said, getting annoyed that she was making decisions for me.

  "Not after what's happened with the video; I don't think I can deal with this. We are ending this right now.”

  She stood and walked out of my home office, headed for the elevator. I got up quickly and followed her, turning her around to face me with both hands gripping her upper arms.

  Did she think she could just end what we had just like that? Over this? No way.

  "Do I look like a man who is easily deterred?” I demanded. “Do I look like a man you can just walk away from without a fight?"

  I let her see my resolve; I wasn’t going to give up on us just because some loser possibly had a tape of us somewhere in his hovel. I watched her soften for a second, then face me with renewed determination.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Carter. And what exactly am I to you? You already have girlfriends you are getting engaged to." I almost rolled my eyes; she’d read or watched the Isabella report the tabloids were circulating. But had this past weekend meant nothing to her?

  "The tabloid trash again,” I said dismissively.

  "Yes, I’ve heard that you’re about to propose to Isabella."

  "I already told you, I'm not seeing her."

  "But you have been going on dates with her. And that's enough for me."

  "She's an old friend. I knew her when I attended college in Europe for a year. She was a student and an upcoming model in Europe. She went off the rails a bit, did drugs and alcohol, dropped out of school and lost work. Now she's mostly clean and I was helping her get her name out there by bringing her to functions in the US."

  Since when did I care to explain anything about my relationship status with any woman? Apparently Lena, because if I didn’t she could leave. But even then, she clearly looked like she thought I was lying, rolling her eyes at me.

  "Really, Jonathan? Why didn’t she go somewhere like New York or California?"

  "Because she doesn't know anybody there. She's just made contacts in Miami now, so she’s moving there. We’re just friends, Lena."

  "So will she say the same thing to me if I ask her?"

  "You can call her now and ask."

  I took my phone out of my pocket, found Isabella’s number and handed it to Lena. I was giving a woman my phone to check out my story? I thought incredulously. I must really want this girl. She handed the phone back to me.

  "I'll call her in my own time,” she snapped.

  I began to realize something; Lena probably wanted to know the status of our relationship. I knew for certain I wanted her, but even now, I still wasn’t sure if I was ready for a serious relationship and all the commitment that comes with it. Why couldn’t she be like the other women who I’d dated for the last two years who didn’t give me any trouble as long as I spent money on them? I had to reassure her while being as honest as possible.

  "Look, Lena,” I said tipping up her chin to look at me, “I know you want clarity on our relationship. I'll be honest with you. I don't know. I've never dated outside my race. I haven't been in a serious relationship for a long time. So I can't tell you what this is, but please; let’s just try and figure it out together."

  "I've never dated outside my race either. But the main thing for me is, I don't want my heart broken."

  Of course; this is what it was. She’d been heart-broken and was worried I’d do the same and hurt her.

  “Lena,” I said taking her hand into mine. “I’m not Willis. Don’t judge me by how he treated you, okay? You will always have the truth from me; I promise you that.”

  She was silent for a moment, thinking through what I’d just said.

  “Jonathan, I was worried about your silence this weekend after I left.”

  She was expecting me to call. I ran my hand through my hair and let out a deep breath, shaking my head.

  “A couple of hours after you left, the photographer called me. I had to go meet with him to check his story out, and then Monday I had to meet with my lawyer and my security people to secure everything.”

  We were silent for a long moment then I took her hand again. I had to let her know how she made me feel.

  "Look, Lena. I have avoided serious relationships for
a very long time. But I want to pursue you. There's something about you, Lena. I love being around you. You are intelligent, beautiful, so sexy; your ass drives me wild. The fucking that we do … it drives me insane. I want to keep seeing you."

  I was adamant and would give her no opportunity to leave me right now.

  "Why do you like my ass so much?" she asked, stifling a smile.

  "You have no idea. I can't describe to you what that jiggle does to me when we fuck,” I told her, my dick stirring instantly. “That butt is going to make me lose my mind.”

  I wanted to make love to her and couldn’t hide the desire I had for her.

  “So were you attracted to black women before me?” she asked casually, but I knew it was an important piece of information to her. Perhaps she worried that I fetishized black women which I didn’t; I fetishized Lena. It was her who did it for me.

  “I have admired all this brown candy around me for years,” I admitted, “but I was never attracted to a black woman until I met you. I never considered taking it further until you, Lena.”

  She looked at me, perplexed. “Brown candy? Is that what you call us?”

  Damn it; why did I say something so stupid, I wondered for a moment slightly embarrassed.

  “Brown sugar sounds too expropriated so I made up my own term.”

  She shook her head in bewilderment while I pulled her into my arms, squeezing her butt.

  "I just don't want to be some black woman whose white boss fucks her occasionally. That won't work for me,” she murmured.

  What? Does she think what we have is just an office fling where a superior is taking advantage of an employee?

  I took a step back.

  "So you think saying ridiculous things like that is going to drive me away?" I demanded.

  I pulled her back to me and kissed her deeply, entangling my tongue with hers. She pulled me to her, grabbing my collar, kissing me back passionately. I tried to pull her leg up around my thigh but her restrictive skirt stopped me. Abruptly she pulled back and out of my arms. "Jonathan, in light of everything we have discussed and the video of us and everything, I think I should just go home; I need to think about all this."