Boss

by Tracy Brown

  “How far up north is he?” Uncle Don gently prodded.

  “Clinton Correctional. It’s up in—”

  “Up by Canada,” Uncle Don finished for her. “I got a few friends up there. I’m familiar with the place.”

  Sydney nodded, a bit relieved by that.

  Troy glanced at his uncle, wondering why he had so many questions tonight. Usually, Uncle Don was laid-back, quiet. Tonight, he was uncharacteristically chatty. Troy wondered why. He glanced at his father. The expression on his face was unusual, too. He looked like a man who had suddenly lost his appetite.

  Fox stared down at his plate, pushing his food around, thinking. He dared not look at his brother again. This was too good to be true.

  “Well, this is heavy dinner conversation, Daddy.” Zoe looked at him with disapproval etched on her face. She caught herself and glanced at Sydney apologetically. “I’m sorry, Sydney. No offense. But I thought this was a holiday party.”

  Fox nodded. “You’re right. Let’s all have dessert and open our gifts from Don. Maybe he’ll be feeling extra jolly this year. Santa’s been good to us.”

  Uncle Don grinned. “Indeed.”

  DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

  The rest of the dinner conversation was light, focusing mostly on Zoe’s upcoming travel plans. Sydney understood now that her insistence on shifting the topic of conversation was entirely selfish. Zoe hardly cared about Sydney’s squirming in her seat, what really bothered her was that no one was paying attention to her. She’d bought thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes in preparation for her trip to St. Barts and she would be sailing and tanning while everyone else was shivering in New York, she bragged. Accustomed as she was to the spotlight, when she wasn’t in it Zoe was texting, looking bored, or adjusting her cleavage in her dress. Although Sydney remembered Troy saying that Zoe was his favorite cousin, she agreed with him that she was also a brat.

  Dessert was served and at the same time a couple of servers wheeled out two carts full of beautifully wrapped gifts. Destiny grabbed a slice of German chocolate cake, ignoring the presents. She assumed that none of them were for her. She was, after all, just Sydney’s guest. But, to her surprise, just as she prepared to shovel a forkful of chocolatey goodness into her mouth, she heard someone call her name.

  The lovely lady with the natural hair who had greeted them earlier was back. She now held up a box and called out Destiny’s name, searching for her among the guests. Destiny raised her hand and the woman smiled, passing her the present. Destiny glanced at Uncle Don. He stared back at her as if expecting her shocked reaction.

  “Merry Christmas,” he said. He knew she was wondering how he’d known to include her. What she didn’t know was that Uncle Don was a very important man in Harlem. Everyone who entered his circle was vetted beforehand. He had gotten the names and ages of Sydney and her guest ahead of time. Troy had provided them, along with Sydney’s address, days ago. It was all part of Uncle Don’s process. He had sent Wes along with Troy to Staten Island to pick up the ladies. All part of his insistence on ensuring that no one who got close to the inner circle meant them any harm.

  Sydney and Destiny both eyed their gifts, wondering what was inside. Destiny’s was a red-and-white-striped box and Sydney’s a smaller white box wrapped in shiny green ribbon. Finally, they opened them, and Destiny gasped in surprise. Inside were a pair of fur earmuffs and a set of matching gloves. She loved them and slid her hands inside the luxe leather gloves lined with the same fur that covered the earmuffs. They were the softest things she’d ever felt. She wondered what kind of fur it was, but dared not ask and expose her ignorance.

  “Thank you, Uncle Don,” she said breathlessly. “These are beautiful.”

  Sydney opened her box to reveal a pair of pearl and diamond earrings. They were beautiful, the diamonds twinkling in the candlelight. She smiled and thanked Troy’s uncle. Many of the other guests joined the chorus, grateful as they were for the generous gifts the man had bestowed upon each of them. Sydney wondered how much it cost him to lavish his guests this way each year. Certainly, this was the party they all longed to be invited to when the holidays rolled around.

  The conversation got livelier now. The food, the liquor, and the gifts had them all feeling festive and giddy. Laughter filled the air and voices grew louder in an effort to be heard amid the chatter coming from all sides. Sydney and Troy touched hands a few times, even stole a kiss or two amid the party’s backdrop. Destiny and Zoe even struck up a conversation about music and fashion, both of them discovering that they had similar interests.

  The hostess was back, smiling at all of them. “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s begin to make our way back into the great room for cocktails and music.”

  The guests began to file out, ready to drink, dance, and celebrate. Destiny excused herself to use the ladies’ room. Troy took the chance to steal Sydney away for a moment.

  “Come with me.” He took her hand and led her out of the dining room.

  They walked down a long hall full of beautiful paintings and sculptures before arriving at a wide spiral staircase, which they climbed to the top. At the landing, they entered what felt like a completely different home. Her heels sank into lush, thick carpeting that ran the length of the hallway. Clearly, this upper level was where Fox unwound and relaxed when his travels and hectic schedule died down. They passed several closed doors and Sydney had to battle the request to see each one.

  “Are all of these bedrooms?” she asked.

  He thought about it, counting them in his head. “Five of them are.” He pointed to a door they passed as they walked. “That’s one of the bathrooms.”

  “How many of those?” Her curiosity was piqued.

  “Four.”

  Sydney tried to imagine growing up in a place this grand. She wondered what advantages she might have had in life, what experiences she might have enjoyed. Not that she hadn’t had a cozy life herself. But it had certainly not been on this level. Her tiny bedroom back at her mother’s house had felt perfectly acceptable until now.

  “I told you I didn’t spend most of my time here,” Troy said, as if reading her thoughts. “My mother’s place feels more like home to me.”

  Sydney nodded. “Still,” she said. “Your family must be doing big business to afford a life like this.”

  “My father bought this house in the late eighties. I was probably one or two years old. Drugs were taking over Harlem and this place was really run-down. The woman who owned it had no way to maintain it. She was old, sick, and her kids and grandkids were losers. She sold it to my father dirt cheap. And he fixed it up and made it what it is.” He led her to a door at the far corner of the hall. “Before that, we lived in the Bronx. So did Uncle Don. And life was a lot less glamorous.”

  He opened the door and she followed him into a room so large that she drew in a breath in shock. “Oh, my!” She laughed then, thinking she sounded like Dorothy in the Land of Oz.

  “This is my room.” He smiled.

  She took a look around. The room was mostly empty, except for a queen-sized bed with a large headboard that extended halfway up the wall. Two more floor-to-ceiling windows graced this room, something she had marveled at throughout her time in the sprawling home. A dresser, desk, and a recliner lined the wall. There were no posters, no photos or mementos whatsoever to reflect the childhood he must have enjoyed in this space.

  She turned to him. “How many girls have you brought in here over the years?” A smile teased her lips as she asked the question.

  Troy laughed. “Cut it out. I don’t want no other girl. I only want you.”

  Sydney shrugged, a bit unconvinced.

  “I know seeing how I live is a little bit of a surprise,” Troy said. “I didn’t tell you too much about my family on purpose. Most people I meet have a hidden agenda. They want to get close to me and my brother so they can ask for a favor from my dad or Uncle Don. People see the cars, the homes, the wealth, and they want to take it. But w
hen I met you for the first time I met somebody who was unimpressed by me.”

  She laughed at that. She had been turned off by the cocky Troy she first encountered. But now she understood his arrogance a little better. It would be hard not to have a chip on your shoulder when you grew up like Richie Rich.

  “In school … as far back as I can remember really, people wanted to be my friend because of who I was. But you didn’t know me. You got to know me and you’re one of the few people in my life who truly cares about me. I love you for that.”

  Her eyes darted toward him. She held her breath.

  He stared back at her. “You heard me. I love you, Sydney. I trust you. So I brought you here tonight to show you all of who I really am. When I went away to Howard, I lived off campus at first. I was that dude around campus because I had a fancy apartment not far from school. D-Bo and all of them used to hang out there and it got pretty wild. It was the first time I really got a taste of what it was like to live on my own. Of course, I got in trouble, and Dad threatened to bring me back home. Instead, the school convinced him to put me in one of the dorms so I would have some type of supervision. Then I met you.” He smiled at her. “I feel like it was fate or something. I know I was supposed to meet you, to be with you. I feel connected to you.”

  She felt the same way. Her heart was racing.

  “Wow,” she said.

  Troy came close and kissed her. “I love you,” he said.

  She looked up into his eyes. “I love you, too.” She had never meant anything so much in her life. “I’m just letting it all sink in,” she said honestly. “Your family has a lot of money.” She looked at him, unsure. “Is all of it legal?”

  Troy took a step back. “It depends on what you mean by ‘all of it.’”

  Sydney looked confused. Rightfully so.

  “My father owns legitimate businesses. They’re very successful. My uncle makes his money in the streets. I can’t tell you too much about that, because I don’t get involved in that. For a long time, I had no idea what my uncle did to make money. I just knew that if Dad’s businesses were in trouble, Uncle Don came through and saved the day.”

  Sydney nodded. “In exchange for what? Just on the strength of them being brothers?”

  Troy looked at her strangely. For a moment, he was tempted to lie in defense of his father. But so far there had never been any lies between him and Sydney. He didn’t want to start now.

  “Dad always told us that the streets are a dirty business and we should steer clear. For a long time, Wes and I went along with that. But the older we got, Wes started asking questions. He started listening harder, hearing things. He’s the one who told me that my father does plenty of so-called ‘dirty business’ behind closed doors. Now, he thinks my father’s a hypocrite.” Troy shrugged. “Maybe he is. I’m not sure. I’m just getting my education, keeping my hands clean so I can be the son my mother wanted me to be.” He looked at her, aware that what he was saying might sound too good to be true. “Seriously.”

  She nodded. She believed him.

  “Regardless of what my father is or isn’t … regardless of who my uncle is, I’m just Troy. Without all this.” He gestured around the big room.

  She nodded again. “I know.” She thought about how lucky she was as he kissed her again. She had a feeling this was the beginning of a relationship that would change her life.

  He led her back downstairs, where they rejoined the party. Destiny had struck up a conversation with Zoe over in a corner. Sydney and Troy joined them.

  “You two lovebirds finished being nasty?” Zoe asked, her eyes sparkling in the light of the room.

  Troy laughed. “Mind your business, little one. I’m still mad at you for that stunt you pulled at the dinner table.”

  Zoe feigned innocence. “What stunt?”

  Uncle Don interrupted before Troy could respond.

  “You guys enjoy yourselves. Troy, when the ladies are ready to go, I’ll have Butch bring them back to Staten Island. You can ride with them if you want. Just let him know when you’re ready.”

  Troy nodded and they all thanked Uncle Don for his generosity. They partied the night away, never realizing they were pawns in a very dangerous game they were completely unaware of.

  * * *

  Sydney awoke the next morning feeling giddy. She sprung out of bed, showered, and dressed with a song on her lips as she thought about last night. Meeting Troy’s family, feeling his lips against hers, hearing him tell her that he loved her had her floating on a cloud as she came downstairs for breakfast.

  Her mother stood in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She was in a wonderful mood of her own. Having spent the past couple of days with her new beau, she was feeling sexy and alive. She smiled brightly at her daughter as she entered the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” Georgi said. “I made French toast and some eggs and sausage.” She took a sniff of the bouquet of roses that sat atop the island in the center of the kitchen. Her guy Adam had sent them over this morning.

  “Thanks,” Sydney said. She noticed the extra pep in her mother’s step as she glided across the kitchen setting the syrup on the table. “Where’s Malik?”

  “He went to that basketball clinic at the college.” Georgi tried not to worry about Malik. Although he was twenty-three years old, he was far less focused than Sydney. Malik worked odd jobs, but was much more preoccupied with having fun. Like most of the boys his age, he spent his free time drinking, partying, and making everybody laugh. These days when Georgi looked at her son, she saw shadows of his dad, echoes of the free-spirited young man Quincy had once been.

  Sydney nodded. She recalled her brother mentioning the basketball clinic he was running on Saturday mornings. Good for him, she thought. She dug into her breakfast.

  “What are you doing today?” Sydney asked. “Going to the gym?” Her mom was a big gym rat who went several times a week.

  “No,” her mother said. “Today I’m going to stay in the house for once. I have to do some work around here. I’ve been on the go so much that this place looks like a war zone. I’ll do some cleaning and then later on I’ll take my car for a wash.” Georgi flitted about, placing things back in the cabinet, loading the dishwasher. She looked like a woman half her age in her T-shirt, leggings, and her hair piled high in a topknot.

  “Why are you already dressed this early?” Georgi asked. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to meet Troy in Times Square. He’s looking for a new pair of sneakers that just came out and I promised to go shopping with him.”

  Georgi glanced at her daughter. “Who is this Troy?” she asked. “He’s occupying an awful lot of your time these days.” Georgi heard Sydney speak about her new college boyfriend quite often. She knew the young couple had hung out a few times since Sydney was home for the holidays. But she hadn’t had the chance to meet the boy face-to-face.

  Sydney smiled. “You’ll like him. He’s a good guy. Comes from a good family. I was going to ask you if I can invite him over for dinner.”

  Georgi nodded. “Yeah. Invite him. I want to meet him.” She finished clearing off the counter and turned to face her daughter. “How was his family’s holiday party last night?”

  Sydney smiled. “It was fun. Me and Destiny had a nice time. I really like him, Ma.” She stopped short of telling her that they were already in love. She hadn’t even told Destiny yet. She knew that if she uttered the L word, she would likely be met with skepticism. What she and Troy had was something so special, so pure that she didn’t want to share it with anyone else. “I can’t wait for you to meet him,” she said.

  Georgi smiled and Sydney was struck by how lovely her mother was. Later, when she reflected on that morning, she would be reminded of her mother’s beauty at that moment. She looked happy, at peace, light and free. Like a dainty fairy with her hair piled up on top of her head and an oversized T-shirt on. Sydney’s mother had always been a stunning woman, but on this morning it wasn’t all
about the makeup, Botox, and expensive hair extensions. Georgi’s beauty was natural and real and it made Sydney smile. She finished her breakfast and went upstairs.

  An hour later, Sydney was on the Staten Island Ferry bound for Manhattan. Troy was meeting her there. She was excited to see him again, alone this time and not in the company of family and friends. She mentally rewound the details of the ride home from the party. Troy and Uncle Don’s driver, Butch, had dropped Sydney and Destiny off at her house just after 1:00 A.M. Destiny had spent half the night laying in Sydney’s bed recapping the party. To Sydney’s delight, Destiny loved Troy. She was impressed by his family, too. Not only were they clearly successful, but they seemed so down-to-earth and real. By the end of the night, the girls had participated in a Soul Train line in the middle of the great room, and watched Zoe and Wes have a dance-off to old-school hip-hop. Sydney laughed now, just thinking about it.

  Destiny had left early that morning, eager to get home to shower and change before work. But before leaving, she woke her cousin up and whispered something to her. “You’re gonna marry him someday, Sydney. I can feel it.”

  Sydney smiled, her eyes still hooded by sleep.

  Destiny’s eyes danced as she spoke. “I like him. And I can tell that he cares about you.” She hugged her cousin before she left.

  Sydney smiled about it now, as she disembarked from the ferry and found Troy easily standing out amid the sea of people in Whitehall Terminal. He gave her a sweet kiss in greeting, then together they headed for the uptown 1 train. Sydney noticed Troy texting.

  “Who’s that?” she asked, gesturing at his phone.

  “Uncle Don. He asked me to let him know when we’re on our way.”

  She frowned a little. “Are we seeing him today?” She had hoped to have Troy to herself the whole afternoon.

  He shook his head. “Nah. He’s letting us use his empty apartment up on Sixty-first Street.”