Boss

by Tracy Brown

  “I just finished taking a few test shots of your future bride. She is truly beautiful. You’re a lucky man, Mr. Mitchell.” Oscar smiled, still dazzled by the lovely Vanessa Nolan.

  Troy frowned. “She was here?” he asked. “Today?”

  Oscar nodded. “She’s still here. In Crystal’s office.”

  Troy had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He forced a smile and headed in that direction.

  Crystal sat behind her desk, smiling as she gave Vanessa her full attention. The women had enjoyed lunch at Aureole. Crystal had hoped to get to know the woman a little better and ask some of the burning questions she had. But Oscar had insisted on joining them, hogging the conversation with talk of fashion and entertainment gossip. Now Oscar was gone and Vanessa was telling Crystal the story of her first date with Troy.

  “We knew each other growing up. But we didn’t really get to know each other until he came home from Howard. Our fathers are friends. So we would be at a lot of the same parties. My father liked him. And, that’s saying a lot because Daddy is very protective. Troy had transferred to Columbia. It took him like a year to get up the courage to ask me out.” She giggled. “We went to a Lil Wayne concert on our first date.”

  “What was he like back then?” Crystal asked.

  “He was an asshole,” Vanessa deadpanned.

  Crystal laughed. “Really?”

  Vanessa chuckled, too. “He still is sometimes. But that night I could definitely tell that he didn’t want to be there.”

  Crystal’s smile faded. She waited for Vanessa to elaborate.

  “He was always—”

  There was a heavy knock on the door. “Come in,” Crystal called out, annoyed by the interruption. To her surprise, Troy walked into the office.

  He stood in the doorway and greeted them. His eyes locked on Vanessa, his jaw clenched a bit tightly as Crystal watched.

  “What’s this?” He plastered a fake smile on his face. But Crystal wasn’t fooled by it. Neither was Vanessa apparently. She sat forward in her seat, seemingly alarmed.

  “I came to have lunch with Crys,” she explained.

  Troy frowned. Crys now? he thought.

  Crystal cleared her throat. “Oscar and I wanted to discuss the possibility of that photo spread we talked about last night. He has some great concepts.”

  Troy nodded. He turned back to Vanessa. “Can I talk to you for a minute, please?”

  She nodded. “Actually, you can walk me out. I have to rush across town for my nail appointment.” She flashed a smile at Crystal. “Thank you for lunch today. I had fun.” She reached across the desk and squeezed Crystal’s hand gently. “You’re easy to talk to!”

  Crystal smiled back warmly. “It was my pleasure! We have to do it again soon.”

  The look on Troy’s face was priceless. It was clear, despite the phony grin, that he wasn’t comfortable with this. He held the door open for Vanessa, his eyes on Crystal. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  Crystal nodded, hoping he didn’t take too long. Her curiosity was piqued and she had questions.

  Troy walked Vanessa down the hall toward the elevator. “What did I tell you?” he asked through clenched teeth. “I don’t want you and your mother getting involved in my business here.”

  Vanessa glared at him. “Nobody’s in your business, Troy! It’s a damn photo shoot. You’re acting like I’m in here going over the bank accounts.” She sucked her teeth.

  He gripped her arm a little tighter. “I’m serious. Photo shoots lead to interviews, and the next thing you know—all eyes on us. I didn’t sign up for that. Your mother likes the spotlight. I don’t.”

  Vanessa stared at him, still confused about why he was making this such a big deal. Ever since Crystal had suggested the idea last night, Troy had voiced his disapproval.

  “You like her?” she asked him flat-out. “That’s why you don’t want me coming up here? You’re scared I’m gonna get in the way?”

  He laughed. “You’re crazy.” The elevator doors opened and he gestured toward them. “Go home.”

  She looked hurt. “Watch how you talk to me.” She boarded the elevator and turned back toward him. “You might make me upset.”

  He laughed and shook his head as the elevator doors closed. He walked back to Crystal’s office. He knocked and she beckoned him in.

  He stepped inside and looked at her seriously. “We need to talk. Come have a drink with me.”

  She stood up, grabbed her purse, and followed him out the door. Her instincts told her that now she would begin to finally connect all the dots.

  SWEETEST TABOO

  They went to a bar two blocks away, found a quiet spot, and ordered drinks. Troy ordered some appetizers that they both picked at while they talked.

  “So, was I crazy, or did I detect some tension a little while ago in my office?” Crystal asked. “I didn’t mean to start any trouble by having Vanessa in the magazine. I get the sense that you don’t approve.”

  Troy sighed. He looked at Crystal for a few moments, pondering whether or not he should be completely honest. He wanted her to understand a few things. But there was also a lot he didn’t want her to know.

  “It’s like this,” he began. “Everything in my family is about image. I’m learning a lot about how my dad represents my family to the people he works with. I speak to the staff and they all have this idealistic view of who we are. Like … yesterday, I talked to Marlo Stanton. She told me that my father always brags about my degrees and the fact that I went to an HBCU.” Troy laughed. “I went to Howard for one semester. Then I transferred to Columbia, where I earned my degrees. But, if you didn’t know better, you would think I was the poster boy for historically black colleges.” He shook his head. “My father is the king of urban marketing and promotion for a reason. His conversations are like mini–press conferences, full of…”

  “Shit?” she offered.

  He laughed. “I’m not saying that. But my relationship with Vanessa isn’t … what you might think.”

  Crystal set her drink down, wondering where this was going.

  He shrugged a little. “I guess … look.” He sighed. “I know I don’t have to go into the details of my private life.”

  Crystal nodded.

  “But I’m not like my father. I like to tell it like it is.”

  Crystal nodded. He had her full attention. She felt like she was getting a coveted peek behind the curtain of the closely guarded Mitchell clan. She was mesmerized. She sipped her drink. She had always known that Fox’s carefully crafted façade of a family wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. In all the time they had worked together, Fox had spoken of his family only in the most positive light. He regaled Crystal and her staff with news of family gatherings, holiday dinners, and special occasions. She realized now, listening to Troy, that there was much more to the story. She was surprised by his candor.

  He continued. “I find it a little harder to play that game. I guess I’ll need to learn if I’m gonna take over the company now. I’ll have to work on it.” He shrugged and looked Crystal in the eye. “But, behind the scenes, I think you’ll find that I’m a little more honest than my father.”

  She nodded. “I like that.”

  “Good. So Vanessa is someone I care about. But our relationship is more of a merger than a romance.” He took a swig of his cognac and watched for Crystal’s reaction.

  She stared back at him, unsure how to respond.

  “Look,” Troy said, “Vanessa’s dad and mine are good friends. My dad is running for political office. Harvey Nolan has a lot of great connections.”

  Crystal nodded. She understood it now. “Got it. So you’re really just with her to help your father further his political aspirations.” She sipped her drink.

  He smiled. “In a nutshell. Yes.”

  “Does Vanessa know that?”

  He looked at her strangely. That was a question he hadn’t expected. “She’s a smart woman.” He ate a French
fry.

  “Okay. I get it.”

  He shook his head. That was just the least of it. But it was all that Crystal needed to know for now.

  “I hope you don’t think I’m a dick,” Troy said. “I’m not trying to break anybody’s heart. Like I said, Vanessa is a smart woman. We’re all adults. I’m not proud to admit that I’m not completely in love with the woman I’m engaged to. But, suffice it to say, my family is the most important thing to me.”

  Crystal nodded. She believed him on that.

  “This thing with Vanessa is more for them than it is for me. Most of the things in my life are like that.” He shrugged.

  She thought of her conversation with Vanessa earlier in her office. Even during lunch, she had seemed more excited about the dresses that were being designed for her than she was about the man she was marrying.

  Troy looked seriously at Crystal. “I just don’t want her at Hipster. You seem like you have your heart set on doing this spread with her and Roxy.” He shook his head. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

  Crystal stared at him. “Okay,” she said. “I think Oscar might be disappointed. But I’ll deal with that.” She sipped her drink again, a dozen thoughts in her head. To her, he sounded sad. His tough and confident exterior had cracked. She watched as he downed the rest of his drink and ordered another. She ordered another one, too.

  “When I come to work, it’s my own world. My space.” He winked at her. “I don’t want those two worlds to collide.”

  Crystal nodded. “I got it. And I apologize. Now that I know, you don’t have to worry about me crossing that line.”

  “You don’t have to apologize,” he said. His second drink arrived and he thanked the waitress.

  “She’s a really nice person, though,” Crystal said. “I enjoyed my time with her this afternoon. She seems excited about the wedding.” Crystal was replaying their lunch conversation in her mind.

  Troy chuckled. “Of course,” he said. “Roxy and Vanessa love a reason to get dressed up and shine for the cameras.” He swigged his drink. “That’s the type of shit they live for.”

  Crystal rested her elbow on the table, her chin in her hand. “I’m not trying to rub salt in the wound,” she said. “But it just sounds … kinda sad.” She twirled her straw around in her drink. “Have you ever been in love?” she asked.

  Troy thought about it. He stared down at his drink for a long time. Finally, he nodded. “Yeah. Once I loved a girl. It was a long time ago.” He nodded again, slower this time.

  “What was her name?”

  He locked eyes with her. She gripped her glass, feeling exposed under the weight of his gaze.

  “Sydney.” He said it without blinking. His tone was flat, unemotional. But his eyes told so much more than that. In them, Crystal saw hurt, regret, and sadness.

  Her eyes narrowed. Like a journalist who smelled a good story, she gave him her full attention. She wanted him to keep talking.

  “Tell me about that.”

  He smirked slightly. “My family fucked that up for me, too.”

  Crystal felt a lump in her throat and swallowed past it.

  He seemed lost in thought. She had hit a nerve.

  “Why did you let them?” she pressed gently.

  He looked up at her. “Family first.” He chuckled, tossed back the rest of his drink, and shrugged. “I’m sitting here sounding like a sucker. Complaining, when I have a lot to be grateful for. You can’t have it all, right?” He smiled at her.

  Crystal didn’t smile back. She felt consumed by a sadness so complete that it momentarily paralyzed her. She hated the thought that she might never have it all. She planned to get everything she was owed and then some.

  “You good?” he asked.

  She snapped out of it and her face slowly softened. She smiled. “Yeah. I just hate to hear a sad love story.”

  He laughed. “Don’t think of it like that. Like I said, life goes on.”

  He motioned the waitress for the check. When it arrived, he took out his wallet, tossed a bunch of bills on the table, and gestured toward the door. “Butch is outside. Why don’t you let me give you a ride home?”

  Crystal hesitated. She lived all the way in Brooklyn. Surely, it was out of his way. She thought about it. She was a little tipsy, she reasoned. A ride with Troy would be safe and convenient. Plus, he knew where she lived and he had offered anyway. She nodded. “Thank you. That would be nice.”

  He smiled, glad that she accepted his offer. They headed outside, and crossed the street to the spot where Troy’s Benz was parked.

  Butch greeted her with the same smile he had yesterday.

  “Crystal! Good to see you again.”

  She thanked him as he held the car door open for her. Troy climbed in behind her.

  “I could get used to this,” she said, gesturing toward Butch. “Being chauffeured around the city in style like this is addicting.”

  Troy smiled. “You should get used to it,” he said. “You work hard. You deserve it.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I do.” She opened a bottled water that Butch kept on hand in the backseat and took a sip.

  Troy watched her throat as she swallowed. He felt his dick throb at the sight of her throat muscles contracting.

  She turned toward him. “I appreciate you filling me in. I don’t like to walk into situations blindly, so I’m glad to know where things stand,” she said.

  He shrugged. “I figured if we’re gonna be working together, you need to know the deal. I get the feeling you and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other. I like your energy and I’m impressed by what I see you and Oscar doing. The company needs to take a more aggressive approach in the next few months. And I think you and your team are gonna be the ones to lead the charge.”

  Butch drove across the Brooklyn Bridge, and the passing streetlights illuminated their faces intermittently. Troy watched the lights dancing on Crystal’s face and thought about what Vanessa had said earlier. It was true. He did want to fuck Crystal. It was hard to deny it, considering the involuntary bulge that formed in his pants whenever they were together for long. But as he listened to her speaking now about the respect and admiration she had for his father and for the Stuart Mitchell brand, he suspected that his attraction for her went beyond the physical. Vanessa was beautiful, but she had never stimulated his mind. Not that she was dumb. She wasn’t. But she had no depth, no purpose other than to look good and turn heads. Crystal, on the other hand, turned him on not just physically, but mentally as well. She was smart. He had to hand it to his dad. He had chosen wisely with this one.

  “Fox gave me the chance to show what I was made of. I’ll always be grateful to him for that,” she was saying.

  Butch pulled up in front of her place and she smiled as he put the car in park.

  “Thank you,” she said, leaning forward. “You’re a great driver. Not like the yellow cab drivers I usually have to deal with.”

  Butch laughed.

  She turned to Troy. He stared out the window at her brownstone.

  “Nice place,” he said.

  She smiled proudly. “Thanks! I love it here.” The big apartment was far more than she needed as a single woman. But having the extra space allowed her the freedom to spread out. When she moved there years before, she had fallen in love instantly with the neighborhood. Brooklyn had undergone an incredible face-lift, and parts of downtown were really fresh and new. But her Fort Greene block had preserved so much of its Huxtable charm that it was impossible to resist living there.

  Troy leaned toward her and grinned, his voice a husky whisper. “You gonna invite me up?”

  She giggled and shook her head. “For what?”

  He shrugged. “I mean … it’s the polite thing to do.”

  She knew where this was heading. She had known it the moment they met. As inappropriate as they both knew it was, the chemistry between them was impossible to deny. She thought about everything he had told her tonight
about his complicated relationship with Vanessa. She glanced at Butch to see if he was listening. Troy’s driver had mastered the art of rendering himself nearly invisible. If he was listening to their exchange, his face betrayed no signs of it. He stared straight ahead and fiddled with the radio.

  “Okay.” She said it before she knew it, the effects of the alcohol taking hold. “Come in.”

  He smiled, thrilled, and followed her out. As she headed up the stairs, he turned to Butch and flashed a grin.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Butch nodded and gave him a knowing smile. He pulled off and Troy followed Crystal inside.

  His eyes scanned the place as he stepped inside. Her living room was dimly lit, but he managed to feel the coziness of the space.

  She turned on a lamp nearby. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  He shook his head, his eyes canvassing the room. “No. Thank you.” He looked around at the art on the walls, at the plush furniture, the candles, exotic sculptures, and all of the books on her shelves. “I love your place.”

  She smiled modestly. “Thanks. I love it, too.”

  An awkward silence fell between them. Crystal wondered whether she should offer to show him the rest of the house. But, something felt odd about that, too. He was her boss. The very fact that he was in her home past 10 P.M. was in itself inappropriate. She cleared her throat.

  “I’m gonna get a glass of wine. I’ll be right back.”

  He nodded and watched her walk into her kitchen. He stood there for a brief moment before following her.

  Troy entered the kitchen and saw her opening a bottle of red wine. A wineglass rested on the counter beside her. Hearing him enter, she gripped the corkscrew in her hand and faced him. He closed the distance between them quickly, catching her a little by surprise. She backed up.

  He cornered her, hovering over her as she stood with her back pressed flat against the wall. He leaned in to kiss her and she bit his lip, drawing blood.

  He drew back and looked at her, his eyes wide. She stared back at him in silence, aware now that she still held the corkscrew in her hand. She had been squeezing it so tightly that her hand now bore the imprint of it. Troy looked at her, unsure. She stood like she was ready to fight. But she had the slightest smirk on her face. Her eyes were playful. He wasn’t sure whether to be mad or aroused. Tentatively, he stepped toward her again and pulled her into his arms.