by D. Camille
“Now, who’s tripping?” Patrice asked.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying, if you think it’s going to happen to me, I’m sure as hell wishing it on you, too.”
“You are a damn mess.”
Smiling, Miles replied. “That’s what they say.”
The two continued to converse until reaching the airport. Miles parked the car, then retrieved Patrice’s luggage as she slowly exited the vehicle.
He turned when she reached his side.
“Are we going to have problems?” Miles asked.
Patrice grinned. “No. I’ll let you do your job.”
Retrieving a special tool from his trunk, Miles bent and removed the bracelet from her leg, then tossed the monitor and tool inside.
After closing the door, Miles tilted his head in the direction of the entrance, then waited until she began walking. Inside, they checked Patrice’s bag, then cleared security. Heading to the gate, Patrice turned to him.
“You really bought a ticket to walk me to the plane?” she asked.
“I didn’t pay for it.”
She shook her head. “That Mr. Shaw.”
“He’s the Master.” Miles replied then asked, “Do you want something to eat before we reach the gate?”
“No, I’ve eaten already.” Patrice answered. “But feel free…”
Checking his watch, he responded, “I’ll have breakfast later.”
“You got them on a schedule, huh?”
Miles led her to a seat near the window, where they both sat to wait for boarding. Patrice watched as he pulled out his phone and began messaging. While Miles was engrossed in his device, Patrice did a little crowd watching.
Her brow lifted when a curvy, little red headed woman, pulling a suitcase and carrying coffee and a bag of food, spotted Miles and stopped briefly. Still texting, Miles didn’t look up, and the woman’s eyes turned to Patrice, who smiled at her then reached over and touched Miles’ arm.
Miles turned to Patrice as she grinned at him.
“What’s up with you?” he asked.
Looking back into the crowded terminal, Patrice saw the woman was gone.
“So you even fly them in and out?” she asked. “A little baller?”
“What are you talking about?”
She laughed and removed her hand. “You’ll find out.”
Frowning at her, Miles reached inside his jacket to retrieve an envelope.
“Mr. Shaw says it’s safe to give this to you now.”
Patrice looked at the paper in his hand.
“What’s that?”
“Everything you need for your new life.”
She took it hesitantly, then peeked inside.
“A new identity?” Patrice inquired.
“Yeah...so don’t be down there repping your street cred.” Miles told her. “Mr. Shaw wants you to have a completely different life.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” She said honestly.
“Listen, I used to be somebody doing all the wrong shit. Mr. Shaw gave me the same chance he’s giving you...and I took it and ran with it.” Miles shared.
“You admire him…” she surmised.
“He’s worthy of the praise.”
Nodding, Patrice agreed. “I know he is.”
“He believes that you can do this and be happy. Don’t prove him wrong.”
Staring at Miles, Patrice saw a genuine concern in his handsome face.
“Why do you even care?”
Miles shrugged. “I know what having a new life means.”
“You’re a lot more than I thought you were.”
“I know.”
Patrice laughed and shook her head.
“I hope she can handle all that.” She muttered.
“Who?”
She smiled. “Your little sexy flame who looked ready to set your ass on fire.”
******
Liv sat in the airport fuming. Grabbing her phone, she dialed Taylor’s number.
“Liv?”
“My flight’s been delayed for at least another ninety minutes.” Liv announced.
Taylor replied, “Oh no!”
“I can’t wait to get the hell out of here!”
“I didn’t know you were in such a hurry to leave…” Taylor commented. “What’s wrong?”
Liv sat back. “I saw Miles.”
“Where?”
“He was here. In the damn airport.”
“He came to see you off?” Taylor asked.
Liv frowned. “He was here with a woman. Apparently they’re flying to Miami…”
“What?”
“Yes, that Negro dropped me off then picked up another women to take a trip with…” Liv said angrily.
“I’m confused.” Taylor replied. “Did he mention that he was leaving town?”
“No.”
Taylor paused. “Did you two have plans to stay in touch?”
“He asked, but I told him it would be better to just have the memories…” Liv shared.
“Then why are you angry?”
“Because…”
“Because what Liv?” Taylor pressed. “You can’t brush the man off, then be mad because he moved on.”
Covering her face with a hand, Liv sighed.
“I didn’t want him to move on this fast.” She confessed softly.
“Then why did you tell him that?”
Liv removed her hand and looked around. “I was scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of wanting something that I couldn’t have.”
“Liv…”
Liv frowned. “I’m angry with myself, Taylor. I knew who Miles was...but, I still allowed myself to think...what if?”
“What if?” Taylor questioned.
“Yeah...what if he could really be something I never imagined…”
“Why didn’t you go and talk to him?”
Sighing, Liv asked, “And say what? How do you drop me off and fly off with someone else? I’d sound and look stupid as hell.”
“Maybe it’s for his work, Liv?”
“She doesn’t work with Miles, Taylor. I know that for sure...and he handed her an envelope like he was paying her for something.” Liv explained.
“Come on Liv,” Taylor began. “We both know that Miles doesn’t have to pay for a woman’s company.”
“I don’t know what the hell he’s doing.” Liv grunted.
“Liv, if you’ve allowed yourself to feel something for Miles, then you need to trust yourself…”
Liv shook her head. “No, I just got caught up in the ‘D’...literally.”
“You felt it was more than that.” Taylor pushed back.
“Clearly, I don’t need to listen to my feelings.”
“Clearly you should’ve told him your true feelings, instead of avoiding them.”
Standing, Liv turned to look out of the glass window.
“I think actually seeing him with someone, just made it all real.” Liv said quietly. “He never lied.”
“So now what?” Taylor asked.
“Now, I take my ass back to Dallas, like I’m supposed to...and forget about Miles Johnson.”
Taylor questioned, “You used protection?”
“Of course.”
“Every time?” Taylor probed. “You two were all over one another…”
Liv blinked and placed a hand on her stomach.
“I didn’t come to Detroit to get pregnant.” She replied. “And, I’m sure Miles doesn’t slip up like that either.”
“Things happen, Liv…”
“I don’t want to go there, Taylor.” Liv responded quietly. “I can’t…”
Taylor was silent for a moment. “Okay, but I’m here if you need me for anything.”
“I couldn’t have messed up like that, Taylor…” Liv said shakily.
“I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“No, that’s some real shit.” Liv shook her head. “I need to go home and get my head right again.”<
br />
“Call me when you get to Dallas.”
Liv agreed. “I will, Sis.”
“I love you.” Taylor said softly.
“I love you, too...and I can’t wait to come to your wedding. I’m so happy for you.” Liv said genuinely.
“Have a safe flight and try to relax.”
Nodding, Liv agreed. “I will…”
Ending the call, Liv continued to stare out at the landscape where planes were landing and taking off. She’d been sitting in the airport for a few hours and after seeing Miles, she was ready to leave as soon as possible.
Her seven a.m. flight was now probably not going to leave until around nine, and all she could do was sit and wait. The phone in her hand buzzed with a text and she checked the screen. Seeing Miles’ number, she frowned and opened the message.
The only thing she saw was a link. Pressing it, Liv waited and gasped when a video popped up on her screen. Her eyes remained glued to the screen, as she adjusted the earpiece of the headphone in her ear.
Watching Miles make love to her instantly made her body want him again. However, her mind was pissed at him for sending her this video while he was vacationing with another woman. Who the hell did he think she was?
Angrily, she dialed his number to leave his ass a direct message relaying her level of pisstivity. When his deep voice answered, she froze.
“Hey, Liv…you miss me?”
Gathering herself, Liv replied, “How dare you send me that video?”
“You said that you wanted a copy.”
“How does that woman you’re with feel about you sending me our sex tape?”
“Who? My Mama?” He asked.
Liv grit her teeth.
“No, I’m not talking about your Mama, Negro!”
Miles took a moment. “Okay, so who are you talking about?”
“Who are you with right now, Miles? On the way to Miami?”
He frowned. “I’m having breakfast with my Mama right now.”
“Why are you lying?”
“I’m not!”
“I saw you in the airport.” Liv told him.
She nodded when he became silent.
“I was working.” He replied quietly, standing in his mother’s kitchen.
“You have business in Florida?”
“I didn’t get on that flight.”
Liv frowned. “What the hell Miles?”
“Like I said...it was business, and I didn’t see you this morning.” Miles told her. “Besides, why do you care?”
This time Liv froze.
“Hello?” he questioned.
“I shouldn’t. You’re right.”
“But you do?”
She couldn’t answer, so Liv remained quiet.
“You can’t have it both ways, baby.” Miles told her. “And if you keep acting like you don’t want me, you might not have the choice much longer.”
“So I’m just supposed to take you at your word?”
“Yes, because I’m being one hundred with you.”
Before Liv could respond, she heard another voice.
“He’s not lying to you, baby. He’s right here with me.”
Putting a hand to her head, Liv grimaced.
“Good morning, Ms. Johnson.” She said slowly.
“And I’m not in Miami…” His mother confirmed.
“Enjoy your breakfast.” Liv told her quietly.
“Thank you, and have a safe flight.”
Liv nodded. “Thank you.”
Miles walked away from his mother to a private spot inside the house.
“Enjoy your movie…” he said sexily.
Liv flushed. “You do the same.”
“Oh, I will…” Miles promised. “Until I get you back to make another one.”
“You want a sequel?” she asked, then waited for his response.
“You’re going to find out exactly what I want from you, Olivia Jones.”
Chapter 12
“What are you doing to that girl?” Pat Johnson asked as her son took the seat across from her.
Miles grinned. “What do you mean?”
“Why do you have her all upset?”
He picked up a fork. “She has herself upset.”
“What were you doing at the airport, if you weren’t dropping her off?” His mother asked.
“Work.”
“Boy, I swear…”
Eating, he replied, “I was taking care of some business. I didn’t even see Liv there, but now I know that she saw me.”
“She said that you were with a woman.”
He nodded. “I was.”
“How much damn coochie can one man want?” Pat asked exasperated. “That was your Daddy’s problem...and them damn drugs.”
Miles paused. “I know...and this morning wasn’t about getting some sex.”
“So it really was business?”
“Yeah.”
“Liv don’t believe you.”
He went back to eating.
“Liv is going to have to get with the program.” He said simply.
“Or you might need to change the program, if you want her.”
Frowning, he shook his head. “She already thinks she’s special. I can’t let her get ahead of herself.”
“You’re going to make her walk away.” Pat counseled.
“Nah, I’m not going to make her do that.” Miles replied. “But, I’m not going to bow down at her feet either.”
“A woman likes to know that she’s wanted, Miles.”
“A man too, Momma.”
“Don’t take her for granted.” Pat warned. “She can find somebody else.”
“So can I…”
Pat frowned. “But you want her…”
He nodded. “I do. She’s...interesting.”
“You want to do more than have sex with her?”
Miles looked across the table at his mother.
“How do you know that I’ve had sex with her?”
Pat gave him a look and he laughed softly.
“Next time you watch that video, you should make sure no one else is around…” Pat told him.
“Got it.” Miles said, looking down at his plate. “I didn’t even hear you.”
“You seemed to be enjoying what you were watching and what you were doing.”
“Sorry about that.” He looked up and saw laughter in her eyes. “I did have the sound muted.”
Pat shrugged. “You’re a man, so don’t be a dog.”
“I hear you.”
“Tell me why you like her…” Pat inquired.
Miles sat back. “She’s beautiful, sexy…” He began. “She listens...and she rebuts very well. I like her fire, her fierceness…her kindness.”
“You think she’s kind?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“I do, too.” Pat told him. “I watched her when she was here with you. How she made sure you were taken care of…”
“Don’t be fooled. She’ll try to kill me, too.”
“Good.”
“Mama?” Miles questioned.
Pat ate her food.
“You need a little fear in your ass.”
“Yeah...Lance thought so.” He frowned.
Laughing, Pat agreed. “He did...because he loves you.”
“I don’t need him to love me any more than he has…”
“Stop. You know you were something else.”
Smiling, Miles said, “But I’m straight now…”
“You are, and it’s time for you to start a family. I want to see some more grandkids before I leave here.”
“You’re not going anywhere Mama.”
“And not with no damn problematic Baby Mommas…”
Miles laughed. “Nah…”
“I need you to be the father your Daddy wasn’t.”
His laughing stopped immediately.
“Why are you talking about me having kids? I’m not even thinking about that.”
“With the way you’
re out here? You should be.”
“I make sure that I’m careful. I’m not trying to leave a litter around the city like he did…”
Pat stared at him.
“Do you talk to your brothers and sisters?”
“I talk to Lance.”
She fanned a hand.
“I’ll leave that alone.”
“Thanks.” Miles stood from the table. “I gotta bounce..I still got work to do.”
Pat looked up at him.
“Have a good day.”
He kissed her cheek.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay.”
Miles left his mother’s house and climbed into his SUV. Driving to his studio, he turned on some music to fit his mood. Since he was thinking about Liv, it was sexy.
“So, Patrice...you saw Liv at the airport.”
He shook his head.
“These women…”
Speaking of women, Miles’ phone buzzed with what he thought was another good morning baby text, until he checked it at a red light.
With a frown, he dialed the woman back.
“What up doe? It’s Miles.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
She replied. “I need to tell you something...in person.”
“What the hell do you have to tell me, Shannon?”
“Not over the phone, Miles.”
“You’d better not be coming at me with no bullshit…” Miles warned.
“I’m not.”
“Come by the studio in like an hour.”
She agreed softly. “Okay…”
Miles ended the call and sighed.
“What the fuck is this…”
******
At the studio, Miles waited for Mike to arrive after greeting the students inside planning their next show.
“What up doe? How’s it going?” he asked.
“Good.” One female student replied.
“If you need any help, I’ll be around.” Miles told them.
A male student asked him, “Did you move the furniture around in here?”
Miles surveyed the room where he’d made the video with Liv, then replied, “Yeah, but feel free to move it back the way you need it.”
“Cool.” The student replied and Miles went to his office.
When Mike arrived around ten minutes later, Miles got down to business.
“Man, I still gotta do this?” Mike asked after entering the room and Miles closed the door.
“You want to clear your Neo Negus right?” Miles asked.
Mike dropped into a chair.
“Yeah, whatever…” he sighed.
