by Xyla Turner
I’d take credit for my contribution, but the man was truly a businessman, and I had no doubts it had made him successful to even be there. He and Zora made a great team.
As the week went by, the marks faded, the soreness was gone, and so was Noah’s scent on my pillows. Rubbing my clit was great and all, but it wasn’t him. It wasn’t Noah. I should have known not to push the envelope, but when he started making those comments, all I wanted to do that night was to sit on his face, so he could make me cum. I was rudely reminded that I wouldn’t be able to do that for months and the impatience set in. That was why I asked that question about his intentions.
Who knew it would lead to me blessing him completely out and blocking his ass. I could not believe Noah said those things to me. Could not believe.
That was the one thing that made me cut people off. When they act like they’re helping you under the guise of whatever, then throw it in my fucking face. I don’t care who you are. I would be done and I was. He emailed me, but I automatically deleted them. There was no need to torture myself. Gladys had refunded him his money, but not before she glared at me and told me to fix whatever was broken. I gave her a look of mind your business and kept going where I was going.
It wasn’t until a week later that Harvey asked during one of our business meetings if everything was alright. I nodded and smiled, “Of course.”
He chuckled and said, “You and my Zora are just alike. Strong, super intelligent, and stubborn as hell.”
I gasped, but he merely picked up his phone and said, “Sweetheart, take Maxine out and find out what’s wrong with her. I think it’s man problems. She ain’t sharing that shit with me, maybe she’ll talk with you…Thanks. Love you.”
He kept working behind his desk as if he didn’t just make the craziest phone call I’d ever heard.
My mouth was still wide open when my phone rang, and I blindly answered, “Hello.”
“Hey Maxine, let’s do dinner. Tonight at Horoshimo Steakhouse. It’s good and the wine is everything.”
“Sure?” I asked, I think.
“Great! Al will pick you up at your job at six. See you then.”
Then, she hung up and Harvey left me in his office. My mouth was still open as I realized I just got Harveyed. The man was no fucking joke.
Ha!
As soon as Zora saw me, she gave me a hug and said, “Yeah, it’s man troubles.”
I found myself gasping for a second time and saying, “What is with you and your husband? Y’all are intrusive.”
She burst out laughing and said, “I wasn’t always this way. That man has the power of influence. He’s the same one that invited himself to my house when my brother tried to get a job at his sports agency. He’s intrusive, but I can say...” As she rubbed her stomach. “It’s a good thing.”
Shit, I noticed that she was smiling again and glowing.
“You’re pregnant?” I exclaimed.
Zora gasped, looked around the restaurant, and said, “Shh, it’s not news yet.”
“Oh wow, congratulations!” I whispered.
“Thanks.” She was beaming. “Now, about you. What happened to that man that looked as if you created the sun, moon, and stars?”
I scoffed and said, “He realized I didn’t create them.”
She laughed and said, “No, no. Spill. Believe me, when I tell you my story with Harvey, girl... You’ll know.”
I didn’t really need to know the whole story, but I did need to get some advice. That might have been my issue before. Sometimes I felt advice could be both detrimental and helpful. However, I tried it my way and ended with him saying some pretty crazy shit. Shit that I refused to let him take back because I was an avid believer in out of the mouth, the heart speaks. If he felt like he had done all of these things just to throw it back up in my face or that I owed him something, he was mistaken.
“To make a long story short.” I started. “I asked what we were doing because he lives in London, and he started saying some shit about how he was certain but he wasn’t. Then, he began to throw around things like what he wouldn’t have done if he wasn’t serious! Including hopping on a plane to come to the States and check this, he wouldn’t have purchased my services.”
At that comment, Zora blinked and her mouth dropped open.
“Right! So…I refunded him all his damn money, blocked him, and yeah.” I shared. “That about sums it all.”
“Okay, let me get this right?” Zora started. “He flew here, bought your services, doted on you like you invented magical things. He’s from London, starting a hotel in Philadelphia, but he threw these things up in your face, so you got mad and cut him off. Got that right?” She asked.
Damn. When she put it like that, it seemed quite trivial.
“Well, yeah.” I answered a little on the defensive. “He bought my services first, then flew here. Only after he thought I had a date, but…nethermind. It’s just a pet peeve of mine.”
“Also a deal breaker?” She asked.
“Well,” I began to say, but she cut me off.
“My deal breaker was Harvey not believing in the same thing that was close to my heart. The treatment of people in the black community by law enforcement and America. It was a movement but that was my deal breaker. I’m not trying to compare deal breakers, or maybe I am, but if Harvey throws something up in my face, please believe, he’s getting shit thrown back up into his. I get you guys are new at this, but there are bigger fish to fry.”
She had a huge fucking point.
“I guess…” I began to say again.
“Harvey is demanding, right. This dinner was told to me, but the thing I learned about him was that, that’s his way. Hell, he gets it honest from his dad. I no longer get super upset because he moves me. You want to know why? That man will move the earth and every planet there is, if I want something. I’ve seen him do it, even fight for understanding and that means, he can say whatever, but he meets my needs better than any man. To the point where I’d wear a ball gown to please him, though he’s the type that would never ask me. I do it because I love him, and I know he loves me. Gave me my girl and another one but makes sure I’m always satisfied, even when I can’t see it.” She started laughing, then said, “I had a playoff game, and I missed it because I was sick. He and I weren’t talking at the time, but despite that, he came over to my house, barged his way in, and nursed me back to health. Separated or not, he’s in my corner.”
“That’s Harvey.” I told her, but it was more for me.
Zora raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s also Noah.”
My head started to shake, then she said, “Hopped on a plane to the States to see you because what? Did you ask him or was this a scheduled thing? Oh, he was jealous?”
I looked around the restaurant, maybe someone could save me from answering the question.
“Hmmm...” She murmured with a knowing smirk. “Sort of like Harvey banging on my door when I was sick sort of thing.”
Fuck.
“Yeah, sort of. My friend, Sheryl, kind of on purpose, let it slip that I had a date. The next day, Noah was barging through my office door. Asked me who the date was, then proceeded to inform and remind me that I belonged to him. The man is quite possessive.” I noted now that I was thinking about it from a different perspective. “Up until that point, we’d been innocently talking and some light flirting, and I mean emoji flirting.”
When I looked up from sharing that little bit, I saw Zora’s upper body shaking as she was holding in a stomach-aching laugh.
“What’s so damn funny?” I asked her as I folded my arms over my chest.
“Girl, he came over here because he thought you had a date?” She blurted louder than I think she even expected.
I looked back at the black cloth napkin in a standing folded position on the marble table. Yeah, it was bigger than Nino Brown.
“Right!” I finally gave in. “I see your point.”
“Wow, I guess I went through
my own set of denial with Harvey too.” Zora shook her head. “Listen, I don’t know Noah like that, but I know two things are for sure. One,” She held up her pointed index finger. “Harvey does not, and I repeat, does not suggest or even insinuate working with people without vetting them thoroughly or feeling like there is some sort of honorable and genuine connection. Two,” Zora held up her middle finger that was right next to a rock that was nearly bigger than my head and finished. “On the occasions that I saw Noah, when I say that man is smitten. He boasts about you to others, dotes on you, and I’m telling you Maxine, the way he looks at you reminds me of how Harvey looks at me. It could be a man thing or much larger than that.”
My head fell into my hands as I released a big sigh.
“Thanks for your honesty Zora. I have a lot of thinking to do.” I shared. “Can we eat before I pass out?”
She laughed and we proceeded to eat and talk some more about other things.
The next day, my head hurt more than usual because Zora was right. The wine was excellent and a little too smooth. I would have to get a bottle. My mind was reeling about everything we discussed, the ache in my heart from the loss of Noah, and the reality that Zora was right. There were bigger deal breakers than the man being upset and throwing some shit in my face. We were new, so maybe that was the lesson that needed to be had. Hell, I don’t know. It was five-thirty in the morning, and I was being carried up the stairs to my floor in the elevator. Over the past week, I had avoided the office in the morning because I knew that Noah had my office phone and had routinely called me there. I couldn’t block his number from the office phone. So, I just avoided it all together.
Except today.
As soon as I sat down and logged into my computer, the pop-ups from my SyncedIn page started to ping on my browser.
What in the hell?
There were requests upon requests and messages from various people across the world, including London to France, asking me about my services. I was not sure what spurred everything, but one of the messages said, “I saw the article that was in the British Times, about me working with the Wolfe Group.”
Immediately, I searched for the magazine and my name, only to land on an exclusive interview with Mr. Noah Wolfe himself.
Holy shit.
It was front page news in London with a big picture of Noah in a brownish suit, yellow shirt, and an expensive looking handkerchief sticking out of the breast pocket. He was standing in front of Wolfe I and II and the steel gates of what would be Wolfe III.
My heart was racing, and I didn’t know how to calm it down because I wondered what the hell he said that had almost twenty-five people and counting sending me messages just on SyncedIn.
The article consisted of giving background about Noah, his father, the hotels, and everything. Then, he went on to discuss how the group had just approved the breaking of Wolfe III in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. The interviewer asked him a question about what would make this different, and he answered, “the help of Always Right Company headed by Maxine Robins.” He explained what my company was doing and said that I was working with some high-profile businesses in the States.
Oh hell!
Then, the reporter confirmed that I was working with FramesRUs (Name) and the Philadelphia Titans professional basketball league with Harvey Black. They both had great things to say about the company and its owner.
Oh my God.
When the question was asked how Noah found the time to socialize or if he had a significant other, the interviewer stated that Noah blushed and averted his eyes. He assumed that meant yes and said, she must be pretty lucky. Noah said it was complicated and the interviewer said, “Well, I know all the single ladies wish there was nothing to complicate.” Then, the article noted Noah saying, “No, there is something, but she’s mad at me right now. I’m still groveling mate.”
The reporter asked him if he looked in the mirror because he should never grovel. It was reported that Max replied, “You grovel when you’ve found the one.”
I nearly fell out of my chair.
Who was he talking about? It couldn’t have been me.
Closely paying attention to the rest of the article, I saw that there was no more mention of Philadelphia, me or my company, so I was safe but not too safe. He hadn’t said it was me, just put in a plug for my business, which was noble. Zora’s words came back to me about the type of man that Harvey would do business with. A man like Noah.
Loyal to a fault, even to his sadistic mother, who was the spawn of Satan. He was loyal to her. Would he be loyal to me, even if I was no good for him? I wasn’t sure if that was the case, but I prayed not. He was still blocked, but I wanted to call him. I’m not sure what I was going to say, but I did want to talk to him. I’d missed him so much and he was …still promoting me.
Fuck!
That evening, one of the local, yet very famous blogger, Mz. James, contacted me about doing an article on ARC since it was so popular. It was growing at a fast rate, and I needed more help if I was to continue with such these high profiled organizations. I was still one person and the business that was coming my way was faster than I could say boo.
We conducted the interview at her downtown location, which was perfect since the bus rode straight there. Gladys advised against taking public transportation, but I wanted to be relaxed. Reading or writing allowed me to do that, but when in the back seat of a car, I get motion sickness. Therefore being on the bus was much better.
I did not know that when the bus dropped me off across the street from the One Liberty Place building, that the interviewer would meet me at the front.
“You’re Maxine Robins?” The woman with a t-shirt, tight jeans, and long curly hair asked. She had to be about five-foot-nine and sounded very different on the phone.
“Yes, I am she.” I smiled.
“Great!” She exclaimed. “I’m Mz. James, and I came down because this business is hard to maneuver, and it’s always good to chat beforehand. It makes the interviewee more at ease.”
She smiled genuinely, which did make me feel more comfortable.
“You caught the bus over?” The woman asked while holding the door open.
“Yes, it’s more relaxing, and I can read my book.” I shared. “Without getting motion sickness, of course.”
“Ahhh, yes. That makes total sense. I like that.” Mz. James smiled. “I would probably do the same if I didn’t live in New Jersey. My husband is a writer, so I should use that excuse to read more of his books.”
“Yes, now that is a long ride,” I replied. “Who’s your husband?”
“Z. Hays?” She smiled.
What!?!?
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed. “You’re the blogger that married to Z. Hays, the BDSM author?”
She smiled as we made it through the lobby. “The one and only.”
“Wow, you were the one that got into it with him because of what he wrote about. I read that book, what was it called? Ugh…I know it. Power…” I snapped. “Power of the Pen!”
She was outright laughing now and nodding her head.
“Yes, that’s the one.” She confirmed as she was probably remembering what all was in that book.
“Wow! I am just. Wow.” I couldn’t believe I was meeting with the blogger who got into a public battle with a well known erotic author and they ended up getting married. He still writes, she blogs and is on television and I’m interviewing with her.
“Well, I hear you have a pretty fascinating story yourself,” Mz. James grinned at me. “Now, I get to ask you a bunch of questions.”
We laughed and made our way upstairs and after a two-hour interview, some more laughs, and a farewell, I made it home and settled back in with a glass of wine in front of a Hulu special.
My mind drifted to Noah, causing my hand to make its way down to my pearl bud that was excited with just the thought of his naughty fingers, mouth, and dick.
To look at the British man, one wouldn�
�t think of the sexcapades he was capable of, but he made me a believer. So much so that I had caused myself to orgasm with the whisper of his name on my lips because he was that good.
Thorough and not selfish.
Gladys had scheduled almost everyone that contacted me, so business was booming. I had a few job descriptions that were posted online.
In the meantime, Harvey did a TV interview, and he talked about Always Right Company. He even shared that he was partnering with a British based business called the Wolfe Group, so anyone who buys tickets at his games gets an automatic discount on their hotel stays. This was received well from out of towners who wanted to see the pro teams.
It was genius and the fact that the three of our ventures were circulating in the news like this was the making of miracles. We had a weekly standing meeting, where I shared my gratitude, but he waved it off.
So, I stopped him and said, “No, I really appreciate you taking a chance on me.” I wanted to be clear with him.
He smiled, put down his pen from behind his desk, with the expensive wrinkle-free shirt.
“Maxine, you know why I really went with your company?” He asked.
“Your wife?” I answered, knowing it was the truth.
He smiled because he knew it was too.
“No.” He said. “I met with you because of my wife. Don’t get me wrong, your concept was brilliant, and my wife has an eye for unique and genius things. You’re one, but that doesn’t mean I need to bring my business to it. It’s not my own company like ARC is yours. Owning a Pro league has to do with investors, wins, fans, etcetera. Me doing a good job is different from you doing a good job.”
“Okay.” I acknowledged the differences. “Then why?”
“Your man.” He simply said. “Any coach or owner comes up to me and says we want to play against your wife’s team, I show them to the owner and say, ‘suit yourself.’ Why? I know my wife. When I met her, I knew she was going to take the industry by storm because that’s the work she put into it. That’s what she did and it worked. She moved to the professional league, and I knew that was coming. She took that league and turned it on top of its head. So when she comes to me next with whatever she’s going to do, I don’t have one doubt in my mind about her ability to do it. Shit, she can have my team, and I’ll get another one. That is what I saw in your man.” He pinned me with his gaze. “He had full confidence in your ability to take your company and its ability to have it compete at this level. He wholeheartedly believes in your skills, and it wasn’t blind. He even invested an exuberant amount of money into it. That doesn’t tell me the man is led around by his balls, but the Wolfe Group is precise, calculating, and knows the market. Philadelphia is by far the best place to have a hotel because of the changes in all surrounding areas. New York is too expensive, but one can enjoy the benefits of being on the east coast without paying the full price. Wish I would have thought of it, but I don’t have time for that, so I’m glad he did.”