"If those are ribs, then you are indeed invited."
He smiled and slapped my back before walking in. "I knew you wanted some, so I stopped by Demetris'. Besides, we need to look over this case."
I sighed and went to the kitchen. "Do we have to? I just got home, and I just wanted to relax and watch the game."
"We have to, especially if we want Commissioner Franklin off of our damn backs. We've been on this case for months now, and we haven't gotten anywhere."
I walked back into the living room and handed him a plate, then I grabbed some ribs. He pulled out a folder from underneath the bag and flipped through it.
"Where did you tell Maxine you were heading?"
"Here, which I wasn't lying about. I just didn't tell her why I was coming."
I shook my head and took the file from Jason. "So, we both know that this guy is laundering money, but we just don't have the evidence to back it up. What does Franklin want us to do? Arrest him to see him walk free?"
"We have to do something. Warren Alexander is someone not to be messed with. He needs to be locked up, so we have to do what is needed to make that happen."
I exhaled and put down the file. Sometimes, I didn't like my job as a detective. Although I wanted to make my dad proud and follow in his footsteps, the job could be a bit demanding. This case Jason and I were working on had been going on for far too long. We'd been following Warren for almost a year now, trying to get him on money laundering charges. We knew he was extorting money from his job at Lexington Industries, but he was also working for known drug dealer Tyrone Foster. We didn't know if him taking money was associated with Tyrone, but we had to do what was necessary to end this.
"I saw Asia again at the park earlier."
Jason raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Twice in one day, huh?"
"Do you think this is a good idea? Based on my interactions with her, I really don't think she knows anything."
"Do you really think she would have mentioned anything in one encounter? Man, you're slipping."
"I'm not. She just doesn't seem like she does. In fact, I think we're looking in the wrong direction."
"We're not, especially since her husband is working with Warren. She has to know something."
I scoffed at the mention of Asia's husband. I already knew about her since my boss told me to target her. During our investigation, Franklin gave us key people who would help bring down Warren. We'd just learned that his cousin, Dwight, might be helping him out with the money laundering scheme as he's also an associate with Tyrone. In fact, Dwight had been working on and off for Tyrone for years but officially got out of the business when he met Asia. Based on the info from an informant, he got back in because he and Asia had been struggling financially.
Even though I was assigned to target Asia, me meeting her at the coffeehouse earlier was a coincidence. When I informed Franklin, he was eager to get the ball rolling, but I couldn't jump right in. I had to gain her trust, which I knew would be hard to do, considering what she might be going through right now. I didn't know a lot, but I knew that her husband hadn't been supportive, especially with her writing. I think that would be the way to get her to let down her guard.
"He could be hiding it from her," I mentioned.
"He could be, but that's something you'll have to find out." Jason sighed. "Listen little bro, you can't get caught up in her life. You're doing a job, and your personal feelings shouldn't get in the way of that."
"They're not; it's just that maybe she needs someone to be there for her. I don't think she's getting that from her husband or from anyone."
"And how can you tell that in just a day?"
"Because of her eyes. There's this sadness in them. I think that whatever is going on in her life is much deeper than what we think."
Jason looked at me in shock. "Do you, Bryon Gibson, actually have a heart?"
I playfully rolled my eyes. "Whatever; let's get back to looking at this case."
Jason pulled out another file, while I lay my head back on the couch. I knew I shouldn't get caught up, and I wouldn't, but Asia was making it hard to not take a liking to her. If I was like this now, how would I be later on in the investigation?
Asia
It was the following day, and I was getting ready to meet Bryon at the coffeehouse. Since Dwight had to open the store again, I could get there early. I didn't want it to be obvious that I was meeting someone, so I chose my outfit carefully, donning a white, loose-fitting blouse and olive green linen shorts with my hair hanging around my shoulders. I grabbed my laptop and crossbody bags and waited for Dwight to finish getting ready. Once he did, he glanced at me with a smile.
"You look good, A."
"Thanks."
"Listen, I want to apologize for yesterday."
I looked at Dwight, a little confused, and he sat beside me. "I know things have been kind of crazy lately, and we have both been on edge, but the situation we're facing should not affect the way we feel towards each other. When we got married, it was for better or for worse, and we should support each other, no matter what. Our lives are different, but my feelings for you haven't changed; that's why I need to know if yours have?"
His words made me feel guilty. I didn't know what to say because I don't know how I felt about him. I loved him, but lately, I found myself wondering if love was enough with everything that we're going through.
"I do love you, Dwight. My feelings haven't change."
Dwight nodded. "I'm glad. We just need to work on things a little bit better. Do you agree?"
"Of course I do."
"Good. We should go out tonight then. We can have dinner and maybe even rent a room. We need to get back on track with our marriage, A."
I agreed; we really needed to. Even though it probably wouldn't help our situation a whole lot, it would at least be a beginning to getting our marriage back on track. With how I was feeling, we really needed it.
***
After I dropped off Dwight, I headed to the coffeehouse. When I walked in, I immediately spotted Bryon sitting at the table we were at the other day. I headed over smiled while putting down my bags.
"Hey, Asia. How's your day so far?" Bryon asked.
"It's great, thank you. What about yours?"
"It's going good so far. So, what have you written since the last time we talked?"
"I've written a couple of more scenes, but I'm not showing you."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not. I don't usually share my work with anyone."
"You should to get someone's opinion before sending it to your publisher."
"Maybe I will eventually, but not right now."
"I understand. What do you want to drink? I'm buying."
I gave him my drink order and waited for him to return. My phone beeped, and I took it from my purse. I saw it was a text from Dwight, saying how much he loves me. I started feeling guilty about being here with Bryon, but I reasoned that it was just a friendly visit, nothing more.
He came back with our drinks and sat down.
"That was quick," I replied while sipping on the hot concoction.
"That sort of happens when you have pull with the establishment."
I placed my cup on the table and looked in his eyes. "So, tell me more about yourself. Do you have any siblings? What are your goals, dreams?"
Bryon put down his drink and began to talk. "I do have an older brother, Jason. He has been my rock, especially since our dad passed. He was a detective for the police department."
"Was he killed on the job?"
He nodded. "The person he was trying to take off the streets was the one who shot and killed him. That day still seems surreal."
"I can imagine. My mom passed away when I was 16. There are still times when I wish I could talk to her or just be in her presence. It's really hard to lose a parent, especially when they were also your best friend."
"That's the truth."
"Do you visit him?"
Bryon began playing with his coffee cup, while I waited for him to speak. I already knew the answer, but I wanted him to say it.
"I did at first, but it was too hard to go back."
"I understand. I haven't really visited my mom either. I can always envision her around me, which she is, but when I go to her grave, I get hit with the realization that she's gone. Really, I don't want to see her that way. I want to remember her as the person she was, not keep having that image of her buried in the ground, you know?"
Bryon nodded. "I understand."
He slowly reached over and began caressing my hand. I looked at him, trying not to cry. The subject of my mom was always hard to talk about. Even now, I could be going through my daily routine, think about her and start crying. Although it had been 11 years ago since she'd left me, it was still hard to deal with.
"Just know that she's always with you. That's something I always say about my dad, too."
I wiped a tear that fell from my cheek, and Bryon took a deep breath.
"I didn't think it would get this emotional."
I chuckled. "Me either."
"Come on, let me take you somewhere."
"What about work?"
"I'm the owner, so I can be a few hours late. Do you mind if I drive?"
"Not at all."
He smiled and waited for me to pack up my things. We both headed to the door; I was excited to see where Bryon was taking me. And that was something I hadn't felt in a long time.
***
Before heading to our destination, Bryon needed to stop by his place to change. I really didn't want to go there, but I figured it would only be for a quick minute.
I already figured he was rolling in dough, judging from the car he drove, a Lexus RC F, but I definitely knew he was when we approached his condo. We walked inside, and I was immediately in awe over the beautiful earth tones on the walls, exquisite paintings, the huge square footage, and comfortable furniture in the living room and even the bedrooms. He was a man of great taste.
I looked over in the kitchen and saw him sitting on the barstool, staring at me.
"I can see you've taken a liking to my place."
"Why wouldn't I? It's amazing."
"Thank you."
"Did you decorate everything yourself?"
"Yeah, but I did have a little help from my mom."
"I can see a woman's touch with some of the colors. Regardless, it's beautiful."
"I'm about to change, but make yourself comfortable. There's food and drinks in the fridge, and you can watch anything on the TV."
"Great. Thanks."
He smiled and went to his bedroom. I went to the couch, took the remote from the ottoman and turned on the TV. I began flipping the channels then stopped on MTV to watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I was about to grab my phone when I saw movement from Bryon's room out of the corner of my eye. His door was opened slightly, and he was taking off his dress shirt. I saw a tattoo of a dragon on his back as he turned. My breathing got heavier when I saw how well-defined his chest was. His running definitely paid off. My eyes lowered to his pants, which he was taking off. I bit my lip, feeling a spark between my legs. I was acting like a damn perv, staring at him getting dressed, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was sexy and was giving me all types of sexual feelings that I hadn't had in months.
He was putting on a pair of shorts when he finally looked up, and our eyes locked. He gave the most alluring smile that made my pussy go wild. Damn, I needed to find a release.
I quickly looked away and crossed my legs. I heard his footsteps as he returned to the living room.
"Did you like my presentation?" he asked with a grin.
My face became flushed. "You did that on purpose?"
"Not like I was trying to, but I figured you would sneak a peek. Hell, I definitely would have if the situation was reversed."
I was speechless as he walked over to me.
"You are so damn cute. Let me rephrase that: You are fucking sexy, especially when you're looking so innocent."
My heart skipped as his eyes roamed over my body. He touched a strand of hair near my cheek before moving to my shoulder.
"I don't know if I should be saying this to you, but I was thinking about you last night, how beautiful you looked when I first saw you."
"Why? When you just met me?"
"You're the type of woman no man would ever forget about."
His hand moved to my thighs, while his breath was on my neck. My body shuddered from his close proximity. He leaned over, causing his lips to tickle my skin.
"We'd better go," he whispered, disappointing me.
He gazed into my eyes again, then got up and went to the counter to grab his keys. I continued sitting because I felt too weak to move. I took several deep breaths then slowly stood up. My panties were soaked from his touch. I couldn't believe I was acting this way, that I was attracted to a man who wasn't my husband.
I believed that if Bryon wanted me right then and there, I would have let him have it. That's what
scared me the most.
Bryon
After our intimate moment in my condo, I knew we had to leave. There was no doubt that I wanted Asia. I wanted to slowly undress her and make everything she was feeling disappear. Of course, I was physically attracted to her when I first saw her, but it was amazing that I was now emotionally attracted to her, and I'd just met her the other day.
We got into the car and drove to Surfside. I wanted her to relax and have a great time, and I thought being by the water would do that for her. I would have taken her to South Padre Island, where it was much nicer, but Surfside would have to do for now.
We got there in an hour and an half and parked near the beach. When we got out, I grabbed two bags. The sand felt good between my toes.
Asia smiled. "What made you want to come here?"
"I thought this would be a great way for you to relax and get some inspiration to write."
She looked over at me. "Really?"
"Yeah. You did bring your laptop, so you can sit by the water and let your mind run free."
Asia laughed. "Have you seen my laptop? It won't work without an outlet."
"I know, that's why I brought mine for you to work on. Just remember to use your flash drive to save your work."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem. While you work, I'll be doing the same."
"But you just said –"
"On my iPad. I need to get some work done, and I don't mind doing it with a view like this."
We walked to two patio chairs to the other side of the beach, and I handed her my bag. I reached into my laptop bag and pulled out an insulated container and a bottle of Moet. Asia looked shocked when I removed two glasses from the bag.
"Okay, I'm not sure how you did all this, but it's amazing," she finally said.
"Thanks. I bought this bag in Paris. It's has a lot of compartments, including an insulated bag which can hold almost anything."
"I see."
"You do drink, right?"
"I do, on occasion."
"Consider this a special one," I told her and popped the cork. I grabbed it before it flew off then filled both glasses and gave Asia one.
"To new beginnings," I toasted.
"New beginnings," she echoed. We tapped our glasses and took a sip. It was delicious.
"I hope you don't mind, but I thought we could have lunch at the Red Snapper Inn," I suggested.
"Wow, not at all, but I do have to get back before six."
"No problem; we'll be done by then." She leaned back in her chair and went to Microsoft Word on my computer. She glanced at me as I typed on my iPad.
"I was thinking; are you still looking for a job?" I asked.
"I am."
"Cool, because I would like to hire you."
She stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "What?"
"Do I need to repeat myself? I'd like to hire you as my assistant. Actually, i
t would be for the company, because my brother and I really do need the help. We wear a lot of hats, so it would be good to have someone there to man the office while we prepare and present our campaigns."
She was speechless. I guess she couldn't believe I was offering her a job.
"Wow, I don't know what to say," she finally replied.
"Just say yes."
She nodded. "Thank you."
"This will give you some time to work on your writing. Yes, you will be working on our business, but you'll have some time to work on your story as well. I don't want to keep you from your dream; I want to help as much as I can to make it come true. So, consider this your first day. Do you like it so far?"
"It's great."
I laughed then went back to working. I meant what I said about helping her pursue her dream. I wanted her to be happy and I think this was a start to making that happen.
Bryon
Being with Asia the entire day was fun. I really enjoyed her company, and I knew she enjoyed mine. After working on our projects on the beach, we went to the Red Snapper Inn and dined on calamari, sautéed oysters, and snapper. We talked about our favorite childhood and school memories, which had the both of us laughing about our experiences. I learned that Asia was an only child, had been a cheerleader in middle and high school and had also been in the marching band. She even showed me some pictures from when she was younger on her phone; she was beautiful then, too.
We both shared our fears as well. I told her about how I hated clowns growing up, while hers was sleeping in the dark. She told me that now, she kept the TV or radio on to relax her to sleep. Even though she had a man, I wished I could be there for her to make her feel safe. She deserved that.
I did want to know something about her husband, but I knew she couldn't go there, since she kept the fact that she was married from me. For now, I'd have to keep playing along; but eventually, that subject would have to come up.
Since she needed to be back in town before six, we headed out before traffic got heavy. I slowly drove to her car at the coffeehouse, wishing this day didn't have to end. I wanted to take her back to my place, cook her dinner and see where the night took us. I wanted to sleep with her, but I also wanted to get to know her better, which now I'd be able to do since I offered her a job at the company. I knew Jason would be pissed that I did, but I wanted to help her with her financial situation.
Reclaiming What Is Mine Page 4