Coming For What's Mine pt 2: The Politician (Law Boy's Series)

by Edwina Fort

  “Hmmm…okay.” It didn’t sound as if she was really buying my story, I looked up at Albert for a little assistance.

  He stepped forward taking her bag out of her hand. “Here darling, let me show you where you and baby girl rooms are.”

  She didn’t follow him right away. She just stared down at me through narrow eyes. Ayana, bless her soul jumped up and wrapped her little arms tightly around my neck as if she feared her mama was going to take her away from me.

  That got Journey’s feet moving, but as she passed me she still looked at me with eyes full of suspicion. When they were gone my gaze went back to Ayana, who was now sitting in my lap staring up at me as if she too was waiting to see what other ridiculous thing was going to come out of my mouth.

  “I don’t think your mama bought my tale.” I whispered. She erupted in giggles falling against my chest.

  Journey

  Jo was full of crap!

  “He saw the light?” I asked Albert as he led me down the long hall to the wing of the penthouse for the bedrooms.

  Albert chuckled, shaking his head. “That boy… he’s been that way since he was a kid. No shame… he’ll do and say whatever it takes to get what he wants.”

  I stopped walking and folded my arms. “I’m glad you think this is funny. I don’t see the humor.”

  Albert took my arm and quickly guided me into a guest bathroom.

  “Okay, little lady, before you get upset just hear old Albert out.” He was talking very low.

  I can understand the whispering, but I was drawing a blank as to why he’d pulled me into the bathroom. Maybe sound traveled good in the hall and he didn’t want to run the risk of Jo hearing his words.

  Hmmm…this should prove interesting.

  “Jo hurt you, didn’t he?”

  I nodded. “More than I care to admit.”

  “Wouldn’t you like to get a little revenge?”

  My eyebrow lifted in interest. It’s a shame how good that word made me feel. “Revenge?”

  He nodded.

  “How so?”

  “As you can see, the boy will do just about anything to get you back.” He gestured towards the living room and the ridiculously big painting.

  “Yeah, that painting is a little crazy.”

  He nodded. “Of course it is, and if I know Jo like I think I do, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. He’s prepared to humiliate himself, beg, borrow, and apparently lie to prove how much he cares for you.” He shrugged. “

  “So why not have some fun while giving the poor fool a chance to prove himself? I know you love him. I’ve heard you in your room crying for him at night.” He grabbed my upper arms in both his hands giving them a warm squeeze.

  “Us men, we mess up all the time. We’re dumb that way. But ain’t many of us willing to go far and beyond to correct our mistakes like Jo. Give him a chance, daughter. It breaks my old heart to see y’all this way.”

  I bit my lip as I thought about his words. I must admit, I was expecting to see pictures of his fiancée on his wall, not a wall-size picture of me. So obviously, this was not her home. There was no woman in the world that would stand for her fiancé having a huge painting of another woman on his wall.

  I guess it was a little cute that he would do such a thing, even if it was a bit ludicrous.

  “Plus,” Albert continued. “If you want to really see him suffer, watch him try to keep up with his fake injury for longer than three days. He can’t keep still that long.”

  “Are you telling me there is nothing wrong with his leg?”

  He shook his head. “The boy is as strong as a bull.”

  “Oh, my goodness! He is such a con artist!”

  “We like to call it politician around these parts. Come, let me show you your rooms.”

  There were three bedrooms at the end of the hall, one big door in the middle and two doors off to either side of it. He opened the one to the left of the middle door, then moved to the side so I could step past him. My mouth opened in surprise.

  It was a beautiful nursery with so many toys that it almost looked like a toy store.

  “How beautiful!”

  I walked into the room, completely floored at what I was seeing. There was a huge wooden baby crib that looked as if it had been hand carved against the wall. This room didn’t have the big square windows that were in the others. It looked as if the O shaped windows faced the back of the property, but they were covered in pretty pink and purple curtains.

  The room looked as if it belonged to a royal princess.

  “When he first laid eyes on Ayana, he had this room prepared for her.” Alfred said quietly from where he stood by the door.

  “Are you serious? Don’t lie to me!”

  He held up his hands chuckling. “I guess I deserved that for helping Jo get you here. But I’m not generally a liar.”

  I believed him. Albert is a solid, dependable person. I’ve grown to love him like a father. And no, it’s not because it looked as if he and my mom were getting really close. It’s because ever since I’ve known him, he has always had my back. For some reason when he’s around, I feel safe, just like when I’m with Jo

  I continued my perusal of the nursery. It was fully stocked with diapers and clothes for Ayana. Jo had thought of everything. There was even a potty for her. She wasn’t quite walking yet, but it would be any day now. I was just telling Jo last week that I was thinking about starting to potty train her. And look…there was a potty.

  Stunned I shook my head, I couldn’t help but think about my mother’s words she said to me before she left to go back to Chicago to check on my brothers. I don’t know what kind of fiancée Ms. Chloe was to him, but she wasn’t the type that came to his house.

  I brought my hand to my head. “I think my mother may have been right.” I muttered.

  Albert snapped his fingers. “Don’t you just hate when that happens?”

  I looked up startled that he had even heard me.

  He nodded his head. “Come on, check out your room.”

  I followed him out of the nursery and expected him to cross the hall to the door that was on the right of the big room, but he didn’t, he headed toward the big wooden door in the middle.

  I froze. “What are you doing?”

  He nodded again. “Come on, this is your room.”

  What?!

  When he opened the door and moved to the side so that I could come in, I had to grab the wall for support. Somehow Jo had managed to get the feel of my cottage inside this room. There were sheer curtains on the big boxed windows that was parted very artfully. But what brought out the beauty of the windows were the beautiful plants that adorned it.

  This room was a stark contrast to the rest of the penthouse; it was all whites and greens, where the rest of the penthouse was very state-of-the art modern decor. However, inside this space was a little slice of heaven. I took off my shoes, because the carpet was pure white and soft. It felt like I was standing on a cloud. In the center of the room sat a big four poster bed that was surrounded by a beautiful sheer canopy.

  Plants had been placed perfectly throughout the room to heighten my senses and bring joy to my spirit. I turned back to look at Albert.

  “This is my room?” I whispered.

  He smiled. “Why are you whispering?” He whispered back.

  “Because I’m having an endorphin overload.” I put both of my hands that slightly shook to my lips to keep from screaming out.

  This room was perfect!

  Joseph

  I smiled as I watched her take in my home that I had made hers. Lifting my finger, I touched her cheek on the screen of my phone.

  “There is nothing I won’t do for you, J….”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Her Worth

  When you know you are of worth, you don’t have to raise your voice, you don’t have to become rude, you don’t have to become vulgar; you just are. And you are like the sky is, as the air is, the same way water
is wet. It doesn’t have to protest.

  --Maya Angelou

  Journey

  Albert left me to unpack in my room. I eased down on the bed sitting my bag by my feet. What was I doing? Was I really thinking about staying? I chewed my bottom lip. Can I sit here and pretend that there is no danger in being here alone with Jo?

  Albert and my mother think I should give him a second chance, but they didn’t know how painful it was to cry out my heart in that motel room. They didn’t know what it was like to look into the eyes of someone you trusted to realize this person had lied to you and betrayed you, and everything you thought to be true was not.

  I know that knowing how to forgive is important, especially when we wanted the Heavenly Father to forgive us, but I am a flawed individual and just didn’t know if I could. I will always remember the pain of seeing another woman on his arm. That is something I don’t think I can ever forget.

  I shook my head.

  I couldn’t do this…

  I was just going to have to tell Albert it wasn’t going to work, I wasn’t quite ready to forgive him and put my heart at risk again. The wound was too fresh.

  I stood and reached down for my bag, but right then a gentle breeze blew through a glass door that was ajar. I hadn’t paid much attention to it earlier because it was covered with a sheer curtain that matched the ones on the windows.

  Curious, I quickly crossed the plush carpet and gently opened the door.

  I sucked in my breath as the smell of my oil blend wafted around me, stimulating my sense of smell, instantly sending the message to my brain that everything was going to be okay, because my Creator had me in his embrace.

  Walking farther into the space, I was able to see it was a partial greenhouse that opened out to a beautiful private balcony that overlooked the city. There was a clear breathtaking view of the White House.

  In the center of the balcony sat an in-ground hot tub that was surrounded by beautiful palm trees that sat in huge multi-colored flower pots. The greenhouse was empty of plants, but there were shelves and stands set up and ready to be used. There was also a little metal table and chair set like the one I had at home, where I liked to drink my tea sometimes.

  I walked to the shed-like cabinet and opened it. It was stocked full of brand-new supplies, all the stuff that I used.

  Dear God, all that time I’d thought he’d been pretending to pay attention to me as I went on and on about my plants, and he had actually listened.

  I gave him this long spill about the organic fertilizer blend I liked to use. I made my own from a number of products. And do you guys know he had all the products here in the cabinet, including cartons of egg shells?

  On the wall was a button with a note written in Jo’s handwriting that said, Pause for A Moment.

  No!

  He didn’t!

  Closing the cabinet, I pressed the button and cried out when my blend began to gently mist me.

  I laughed because right then a breeze blew in from the balcony and once again a strong feeling came over me, a feeling of protection. A feeling that my Creator was watching over me and would never let anything happen to me.

  Tears came to my eyes; I couldn’t believe Jo did all this for me. He’d made his home mine; including giving me his bedroom and getting it reconstructed to appease my taste. All this stuff was new I could tell. This had to have cost him a fortune.

  Albert stuck his head out the bedroom door. “Hey, little lady, we’re going to order a couple of pizzas is there anything special you want on them?”

  I was so full of emotion I could barely talk, the only thing I could do was shake my head. “No, whatever you guys get is fine.”

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “Mmmhhhmm, I’m just going to put my clothes away and then I will join you.”

  “Okay, take your time, it’s no rush.”

  Trying to hold back my tears, I nodded again. “Okay.”

  After he left I went back into the bedroom picking my bag up off the floor and carrying it to the closet. I opened the door and my mouth hit the floor. This closet was huge. It was damn near the size of my bedroom at the cottage. My little lonely bag of stuff was going to look silly hanging up in he—

  “Oh my—” I turned on the light to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. The closet was packed full of new clothes.

  Women’s clothes!

  Women’s clothes that were my size and style!

  Expensive women clothes that were my size and style!

  One whole wall was a shoe rack and it was packed full of brand-new shoes, shoes and boots that made my feet itch to try them on.

  That was it!

  I dropped my bag and ran out of the room and down the hall. I came to a stop in the living room and I didn’t care that I probably looked silly. Albert had been saying something, but at my sudden appearance he paused. However, my focus was not on him, it was on Jo.

  Casually as if he didn’t know he’d just rocked my world he turned to look up at me. A smile appeared on his handsome face.

  “Did you find everything okay?” I nearly closed my eyes as that deep voice washed down my spine.

  “Jo, what’s going on? I-I don’t understand.” My voice was barely over a whisper. He had stimulated all of my senses at once and it was too much.

  “Come on, baby girl, let’s see if there are some of those little nasty plain baby cookies your mommy likes to give you in the kitchen. Tomorrow I’m going to sneak you a cookie with real sugar.” Albert said scooping Ayana up from the floor where she had been playing with some of her new toys. My gaze went to the toys and I gestured toward them.

  “Why are you doing all this?”

  He turned off the television and sat up. “Come here, baby.” He took my hand, pulling me down on the couch next to him.

  Goodness, he looked so good. Be strong, J!

  “I know there’s not much I can say in the way of an apology.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I will ever forget the look of pain in your eyes. It tore me up on the inside.” He placed his hand against his heart.

  “I felt it like it was my own.”

  His intense gaze was pulling me in, I felt myself drowning in it.

  “Some pain can’t be spoken away. Some pain must be physically removed. And all that I ask is that you give me a chance to do that. I won’t try to tell you how sorry I am, because you deserve so much more than my words. I want to show you how sorry I am.” He reached out and gently took my hand in his.

  “I want to show you how much you’re worth to me.” He gestured toward the bedroom. “That stuff is nothing. It doesn’t even begin to encompass your value. Just give me the six weeks it’s going to take my leg to heal to show you how much you mean to me. And if at the end of the six weeks, you still feel as if you’re not my whole entire world, my very reason for breathing, then I’ll let you go and I’ll never bother you that way again.”

  “What about your fiancée?” My voice quivered.

  “I called it off. My right hand to God! I called it off that same night. The only thing I could see was your tears. I—” I put my finger on his lips. I wasn’t ready to have this conversation with him. It was all too much.

  He took my hand in his and kissed my palm. “Please baby, just give me the six weeks. I don’t deserve your kindness. It’s your mercy I’m begging for.”

  Biting my lip, I looked away from his drugging gaze to think about his words, but then he kissed my palm again and I damn near moaned.

  “Please, baby!”

  Goodness! He begged so sweetly. I looked back at him. “You want me to stay here with you for the six weeks it’s going to take your leg to heal?” Sensing his victory, he tried his best to suppress his smile and nodded his head.

  I looked at his leg in the cast skeptically. How many stories had Albert told me about the rascally side of Jo? They were all funny stories and I must admit that I was a little jealous that I hadn’t seen that side of him. I ha
d only seen the serious Jo or the horny Jo. It appeared as if I was getting ready to get my chance to see Jo the trickster.

  “And how is your leg doing?”

  As if on cue, he lay back against the couch and groaned. “It’s killing me!” He lifted his head and looked at me.

  “Did I tell you I damn near lost the whole leg?” I inhaled loudly.

  “Nooo!” Two can play at this game; I had two older brothers. I wore a look of astonishment on my face. “You didn’t! Wow! That must have been horrible!” I got on my knees next to him and began to fluff the pillows behind his back.

  Y’all should have seen the lecherous look that came into his eyes, his nearly amputated leg forgotten.

  “Well I don’t want you to worry. I’m going to take really good care of you for the next six weeks.” Looking like a little boy he nodded.

  “I sure do appreciate it.” I had to look away from him to keep from laughing. This man was a mess.

  The phone rang. Albert answered it in the kitchen. A few seconds later he brought Ayana to us.

  “Pizza’s here, I’ll get it.”

  That night we ended up having a really good time. I was glad Albert stayed as long as he did, because I wasn’t going to lie and say I wasn’t nervous. And of course, Albert, being Albert made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants.

  Needless to say, he helped me to forget all about my nervousness, especially when he told a story about the time he’d convinced Jo as a kid that he had VD. Of course, Jo didn’t want him to tell that story, which only made me want to hear it more.

  “It was clear he was going to be something of a lady’s man very early. When he was in third grade his teacher caught him with a little girl in the coat closet.”

  “Alright, old man, next story.” Jo interrupted.

  I sat on the couch with him. Ayana had fallen asleep on the pillow between us. Reaching over I swatted at him to shoosh him so that Albert could finish the story. But as I did it, he reached up and caught my hand bringing it to his lips kissing my palm.