by Tosha Damaya
“We know the owner’s son,” Sierra explained.
“How well do you know him, Sierra?"
Sierra rolled her eyes, "We went to high school with the boy, Ethan. He and Syd dated during their senior year."
That got Zeke's attention. "You dated him?"
Sydney sighed and wanted to choke Sierra later. "I was seventeen Zeke, and it only lasted a few months.”
"Did you have sex with him?"
Sierra chuckled and screamed in pain when Sydney kicked her under the table. She focused back on Zeke. "Do you want to have the discussion of our past relationships right now? You know I've slept with men before you, just like you've been with women before me. In the last year, you've slept with more women than I have men in my entire life, so I can only imagine how many you slept with from when you were a teenager."
That shut Zeke up right away. He didn't say a word because he knew that it was true. Instead, he took a sip of his Scotch.
Sierra was sitting across from them chuckling. Sydney felt irritated at the whole situation, and excused herself from the table. She walked over to the bar and ordered bottle water. She loved Sierra's personality, but she could be too much sometimes. A conversation like that shouldn't have happened.
"I'm sorry, Syd.” It was Sierra apologizing.
"You should be. I want to marry that man. You knew damn well how he would've reacted, but you had to instigate the situation. You made it seem like it mattered that we were on the list. Most of the people went to high school with can call Lee and get on the list, including our brother. You don't do shit like that Sierra, it’s messy and wrong.”
Now Sierra felt horrible. She only meant to crack a joke, not to upset her sister. “I’m sorry, Syd. I promise it won't happen again."
Sydney nodded her head, accepting Sierra’s apology. “Let’s move past it and try to have fun. We’re supposed to be celebrating the babies, your new job, and Ethan’s first sell. But please don’t let it happen again. I’ve done so much for you, and sometimes you do some crappy stuff to me. Talk smack about other people, but not your sister.”
Sierra agreed and followed Sydney back to the table. Zeke apologized as well, and the group continued their night and nothing was said about the subject again. To ease the tension, Ethan decided to ask Sydney to dance. He poked his tongue at Zeke when she accepted.
The last time Sydney danced with Ethan was during Trevor’s wedding. It seemed liked years ago instead of just a few months. So much had changed. They trailed down memory lane and discussed that night.
“You know I’ve always considered you my sister. That kiss was the most awkward kiss I’ve ever had.”
Sydney snickered. “It was awful. Sorry. Is it weird that you’re dating Sierra? She’s my sister.”
Ethan chuckled, “I don’t think of Sierra as my sister, which would be nasty because I kiss and have sex with her.
Sydney laughed again. “You’re stupid.”
Zeke and Sierra interrupted their dance, and the two couples stayed on the dance floor for the next few songs.
The music was pumping, and the drinks were flowing. Sydney was apprehensive about coming, but was having a fabulous time. She always enjoyed listening to music and dancing. What kept her away from the clubs and bars was the drama and fighting.
Jonathan called Sierra, letting her know that he was arriving with a date. "We're in VIP," Sierra stated ending the call. "Jonathan is coming,” she announced to the group.
Fifteen minutes later, Jonathan walked up to the table. They all jumped up to greet him until they realized who was with him at the club. It was Danielle.
Sierra, Ethan, Sydney, and Zeke were a mixture of confused, shocked, surprised and speechless. They couldn't believe their eyes. Sierra blinked a few times to make sure what she was seeing was true.
Jonathan was oblivious to their reaction. "Everyone I want you to meet Danielle. Danielle, these are my two sisters Sierra and Sydney. That’s Ethan and Zeke, my sister’s partners," he said introducing everyone.
Sierra was too shocked to correct Jonathan on her relationship status with Ethan.
Danielle smiled at the group. “Nice to meet you all.
Sydney, Zeke, and Ethan sat there quiet. Sierra wasn't about to let Danielle play her brother.
"Oh hell no!" Sierra shouted. "Don't act like you don't know us, bitch! Jonathan, this hoe is using you."
"What's going on?" Jonathan questioned. He was honestly confused.
"Danielle and Zeke dated. She's met all of us, Jonathan," Sierra informed her brother. "I don't know why she's acting like she hasn't."
Jonathan turned to Danielle. "Is that right?"
She sighed. "Yes, but I didn't know you were related to them."
"The devil is a liar," Sierra commented.
Jonathan pulled Danielle away from everyone so they could talk in private. "Wow, I can't believe they're together. Small world," Sydney commented.
"Small world my ass," Ethan corrected, "Zeke, you know she's doing this to stay close to you."
"Yeah, I know.” Zeke looked towards Sydney. “Has Danielle ever met Jonathan?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s always working or in class. Sierra only met her once, so it’s not bizarre.”
Jonathan came back to that table alone. “We’re going to head out. She doesn’t feel comfortable with you guys.” He gave his sisters a hug. “Congrats on the twins, baby sister and I’m proud of you Sierra for getting the job,” he said before leaving.
“That was unreal. I never realized how deceptive that woman is,” Zeke stated. “I hope he ends it with her.”
Sierra snorted. “He won’t. Jonathan has a habit of falling in love fast. The fact that he left with her proved that he isn’t going to end it. Good pussy will make a man do anything.” Sierra stood to leave. “Danielle has officially killed my vibe.”
Goodbyes were said amongst the group, and they all headed home. Sydney was exhausted mentally and physically, and ended up falling asleep before they made it to the house. Zeke carried her inside and laid her on the bed. She woke up when he started to undress her.
"Tonight was a mess," she said when he crawled into bed beside her.
"Not a complete mess. We still had a decent time. I didn't get the chance to tell you, but you looked amazing tonight, Syd."
Hearing that made her heart melt. "You are the sweetest man. I know we got into a little argument, but I wanted to let you know that my past doesn't matter. The only thing I'm focused on is my present and future with you. No other man can measure up to Zeke Coleman."
They didn't make love that night, but Zeke held Sydney in his arms while she slept. Their sleep was interrupted by the constant ringing of his house phone in the middle of the night.
"Who is it?" Sydney asked groggily.
He kissed her on the forehead. "Go back to sleep baby," he stated before answering the phone. "Yeah?"
"Zeke, I need you to come down to Sydney's store," Ethan stated in an urgent tone.
"What's wrong, Ethan? Was it robbed again?”
Ethan sighed, “I wish, the store is on fire. It’s burning to the ground.”
What the fuck? “I’m on the way,” Zeke hung the phone up and got dressed. He looked to Sydney and wondered how he was going to tell her that everything she’s worked for was gone.
≈
Sydney was devastated.
When Zeke woke her up in the middle of the night, she thought it was for sex. One look at his face made her realize that something serious was going on. She then went into a panic thinking that something happened to her family. She was relieved when Zeke told her everyone was fine, but became distressed when she heard about the fire at the store. She hoped it was something small that could be handled quickly but was disappointed when she and Zeke arrived on the scene.
Standing outside in the parking lot, she was left speechless. Her heart was falling to pieces as she watched the building burn. Not only was her store on fire but t
he hair salon attached, and the space she’d considered renting for a café was covered in flames. The fire department was trying their best to not allow the fire to spread to the other stores located in the plaza, but it seemed like they were fighting a battle that they couldn’t win.
“How did this happen?”
“I don’t know baby,” Zeke stated from beside her. He had his suspicions, but he didn’t want to voice them.
“It could be arson,” Ethan said.
“But who want to set my store on fire?”
Sierra snorted. "Probably the same person who robbed it, Syd."
Sydney was tired of hearing about a "conspiracy" against her. She was ready to put the robbery behind her. Law enforcement still hadn't found out who did it and probably never would.
"I think that the robbery was just some man that wanted money and this fire could easily be an accident. Why would someone want to hurt me? I've never done anything to anyone."
Zeke didn't comment because he already knew how Sydney felt about the subject. He instead wrapped his arms around her shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go find a place to sit until we can get some information."
Sydney looked around and observed the crowd getting larger. Camera crews from the local news were arriving. She didn't want to talk to anyone. "I want to go home."
The lawyer in Zeke wanted to stay and gather as much information as possible, but he wasn't going to make Sydney stay if she wanted to leave. He turned to his brother and Sierra "Call us if anything is figured out."
Ethan nodded his head. "You know we will."
Zeke walked with Sydney to the car and opened the passenger door for her. He ran over to the driver's side and got inside after she was seated. "Are you okay, Syd?" he asked while starting the ignition.
"No. Besides you and my family, that store was my life. I don't know what I'm going to do without it. What hurts the most is that it not only affects me, but all of my employees as well. What are they going to do now?"
Zeke drove with one hand and held Sydney's with the other. “Did you have insurance?" He hoped that there was.
Sydney nodded her head. "Yes and I'm sure it'll cover the rebuild, but it's going to takes months before it's finished. So much of my life gone," she whispered to herself.
"I can't say that I understand because I've never experienced it baby, but know that if you need anything let me know and I'll try to do it."
"Thank you."
They arrived home, and Sydney went back to bed. It was close to five in the morning, so Zeke decided to stay awake and complete some work. He made the decision to stay home next week to be with Sydney to help with the store fire.
He checked on her around seven and saw that she was still sleeping, so he fixed a quick breakfast and continued to work. A couple of hours later, he got a phone call from Ethan.
"What's going on?" Zeke asked right away.
Ethan sighed. "We tried to explain that Sierra worked at the store and was the owner's sister, but they won't tell us anything. Rosario, the owner of the hair salon, finally told us that the fire department completed a preliminary investigation, and they're ruling it accidental. They believe that it was an electrical problem."
"Was it Sydney's store?"
"No. It started at the empty spot next door.”
Zeke soaked in all of the information. "Alright, thanks for staying out there."
"No, problem bro. I'm headed to bed, so I'll talk to you later," Ethan stated before ending the call.
He heard everything that Ethan told him, but something was still bothering him. Zeke thought it was best to get a second opinion, so he contacted a friend of his with the police department.
"Demetrius Rice."
"Demetrius, it's Zeke. I need you to look into something for me."
Demetrius met Zeke at the house so they could have privacy. He was a Detective with the police department but had plans to resign and start his private investigation firm. They were inside of Zeke's office talking, so that Sydney wouldn't be disturbed.
"I called the fire chief and he confirmed what your brother told you. The fire was accidental."
Zeke nodded his head. "Anything with the robbery?"
"I'm going to be honest with you Zeke, it looks bad. It's been a few weeks, and there are no leads so far."
"Have you looked into Davis Richardson and Danielle James?"
"During the night of the robbery Davis was out of town on business and Ms. James was at a family event."
Zeke nodded his head. "I appreciate you looking into it for me."
"No problem. If I felt like someone was coming after my wife, I would be anxious, too. If something pops up, I'll let you know."
"Thank you."
Zeke walked him to the door and then went to check on Sydney. It was now the afternoon, and he hadn't heard a sound from her. She was awake, but was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Baby, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."
Sydney shook her head. "I don't have an appetite for anything."
She wasn’t herself. The Sydney he knew would have joked that he couldn’t cook. "Can you try to eat something? Don't forget that you have two babies to feed now."
"Maybe later."
Zeke didn't want to push the issue, so he left it alone. Over the next few days, Sydney barely left the bedroom. Her parents, siblings and employees came to visit, but she didn't want to be bothered. She eventually started eating again, but as soon as the meal was over, she went back to bed. At night, he would run a bath for her and then would bathe her before getting her dressed again.
Zeke felt helpless as he watched Sydney slip into a depression. He racked his brain trying to find ways to help her. He knew that nothing was going make it better until she got her store back, and it was going to take months for the rebuild. One night as he watched her sleep, he came up with an alternative idea.
Chapter Eighteen
Sydney was in bed watching television when she felt Zeke's presence as he entered the room. He came and sat beside her. "I want to show you something."
She wasn't in the mood to go anywhere, she just wanted to stay in bed. “Not today, maybe tomorrow.”
“Baby, you've stayed cooped in the house since the fire. I think getting out will be good for you." When she still didn't budge, Zeke started to beg. “Please, Sydney. Just do it for me, I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Sydney gave in and got out of the bed, but she refused to change out of her sweats. She slipped on some flip flops and took the hand Zeke was holding out to her. After getting into the car, Zeke gave her a blindfold.
“Is this needed?” Sydney questioned.
“Yes, it is love. It’s a surprise, so put it on."
She sighed but followed orders and allowed Zeke to put the blindfold on her. "How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked while both of his hands rested in his lap.
"I don't know, two."
"You're wrong, but that's a good thing because I don't want you to see," he said before giving her a quick kiss on the nose.
Zeke pulled out of the driveway and took off driving. Sydney remained patient and didn't say anything until the car stopped. "Can I take it off now?"
"Not yet. I'm going to walk you inside." Zeke came around and helped Sydney out of the car. She immediately heard cars passing by and people talking.
"I hope you don't have me out in public looking a mess." She cared about her image and what it portrayed to other people.
"Syd, you never look a mess," he said, telling her the absolute truth. He always thought she was the most gorgeous in the morning without makeup and her hair flowing around her face.
She grinned. "Lies you tell.” It was the first time she’d smiled since the fire.
Zeke made it to the front door and pulled off the blindfold. “Open your eyes," he whispered.
Sydney took a deep breath and looked around the room confused. She co
uld tell right away that she was in an empty retail store by looking at the counter and glass displays. "What is this?”
Zeke spread his arms wide. "This is your temporary store, Syd. It's already paid and rented for the next six months. That should be enough time for the rebuild at your old location. If it takes longer, then we can extend the contract. Ethan helped find it and paid for the first month, and I covered the rest."
Sydney looked around the room shocked. "This is mine?"
"Yes, baby it's yours. I know it's not as large as the other store, but it's only fifteen minutes from the regular location. I figured you can get new customers on this part of town and then when you move back, they’ll follow.”
“How much was it for six months?”
Zeke shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about it, Syd. It’s paid for, and the lights and water will be on tomorrow. It didn’t break the bank, if that's what you're worried about."
She was shocked, "I don't know what to say? It feels like too much."
"It's not, you've been wasting away. I want you to be happy and working at your store made you happy.”
Tears started to fall from Sydney’s eyes. Zeke wiped them away with his thumb. "Why are you crying, baby?"
"I'm just so unbelievably shocked that you would do this for me."
"I would give you the world if I could. I’ll just start with this little store and work on the rest later."
She looked around the room already planning on where everything was going to go. "I want to pay you back eventually."
"No, you're not paying me back. My money is your money, so there's no point."
"But Zeke-"
"There are no buts," he interrupted. He should've known that she was going to give him a hard time about the money. "Pay me back with kisses and love; it's been a while since I've gotten my serving of Sydney Adams."
She blushed "I can do that. I love you so much. I wish I would've met you sooner. I feel like I wasted my time with other men when I could've had you instead."
Zeke shook his head. “Baby, when I moved here at eighteen for college, you were a young teen. I don't think it would've been appropriate for us to be together. I know some men like younger girls, but I'm not a pedophile."