by B. Love
Parking across the street in the McDonald’s parking lot, Reina decided to go in and grab something light to eat first. Under normal circumstances she would never eat fast food, but with such a small amount of money that she’d have to stretch for God only knows how long, Reina didn’t have a choice. She ended up getting a large iced tea, large order of fries, and a small salad.
On her way out of the restaurant, Reina’s eyes zeroed in on the woman seated by the play zone. She was fighting to free her arm from the McDonald’s employee’s grip. Reina wouldn’t be surprised if she was homeless and someone had complained about her presence. That was super common out in this area. Anger rising at how the man was practically yanking at her arm, Reina charged over to them as she yelled, “Aye! Let her go.”
The man looked back, sizing her up briefly before he released her arm.
“This has nothing to do with you, ma’am.”
“You’re about to pull her arm out of the socket, so it does have something to do with me.”
He looked from Reina to the woman whose face was dirty, and eyes were wide. Her hair was matted and all over the place. Clothes were dirty and at least two or three sizes too big. And her stench…
Yea.
She was definitely homeless.
Hell. Reina was too.
“She is trespassing. I’m trying to get her to leave before we have to call the police,” he explained, stepping away from the woman.
“You can ask her to leave without having to put your hands on her. I got it.”
He stared at her for a few seconds before lifting his hands in surrender and walking away. “If she isn’t gone in two minutes, I’m calling the police.”
Maybe it was what she’d just experienced with her own mother, but Reina felt triggered. It was taking everything within her to not jump on the man’s back and try to strangle the life out of him. While she knew nothing about this woman’s life and current state, nothing could warrant being treated the way she was.
Reina gave her a soft smile. “Are you okay?”
Sniffling, the woman nodded.
She wiped her face and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Yea. Thanks.”
“What are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“I was hoping to get some food before I headed to the shelter for the night. Normally the night manager doesn’t give me a hard time about it as long as I don’t approach anyone. That asshole is usually gone by the time I get here.”
Reina smiled again at the venom that laced the woman’s voice. Even though her stomach was growling itself, she couldn’t resist offering the woman her food. As soon as she did, her entire demeanor changed. Her body relaxed, eyes watered, and she smiled as she accepted the food.
“Thank you so much. God bless you, baby girl. I promise He will bless you for this.” Her tears started to pour, and Reina twisted her mouth and briefly looked away to keep from crying herself. “I haven’t eaten in four days. The night manager hasn’t been here for a while. I don’t know if he’s sick or something.” Her head shook as she clutched the bag. “But I’ve been waiting on him. Thank you so much.”
With a nod, Reina opened her purse. She pulled out her wallet and stared at the twenty-dollar bill for a few seconds. Gritting her teeth, she contemplated if she wanted to give it to the woman or not.
“Here. Make this last for a while, aight?” The woman nodded as she took the twenty-dollar bill. “And move down the street some before I have to beat this man’s ass for putting his hands on you.”
The woman laughed, causing Reina to smile, even though she was dead serious.
“Bless you. Thank you so much.”
Reina nodded again, inhaling and releasing a deep breath. She walked away, opening the straw for her tea. If it would be dinner tonight, Reina would savor literally every drop.
When she made it across the street, she asked the first woman she could what was going on. She shared with Reina that the rapper whose video they were casting for was in need of another girl. Apparently he didn’t like the one they’d chosen for him earlier. Figuring this was her second chance, Reina tossed the drink and got in line.
There had to be at least three hundred women in line, and Reina couldn’t even blame them. Not only was Phrase one of the hottest rappers out of Memphis, but he was paying fifty thousand for his video girl. The concept he had in mind was a rapper’s version of R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet.” It would be seven videos for seven songs, and the exposure would give anyone a boost in the game. While Reina never wanted to be known for anything outside of ballet, she was willing to do whatever she had to do to make some money and make a name for herself.
Minutes turned into hours, and over the course of that time, Reina gained a new friend. Brooke wasn’t as passionate about dance as Reina was, but they had other things in common. Reina didn’t tell Brooke about her current plight, but she did tell her that this break was necessary. The crisp night air combined with a breeze that had Reina regretting not dressing in thicker clothes. The hoodie she had on allowed the wind to shoot straight through her.
Brooke shared her blanket with Reina, showing her the kindness that she’d shown the woman at McDonald’s hours earlier.
By morning, Reina and Brooke took turns freshening up in her car in preparation for their auditions. They went in back to back, not only dancing for Phrase’s team but taking pictures and doing a short interview as well. Even though they promised to give Reina a call back, she knew they wouldn’t. She wasn’t shaped like the typical video girl. Her five-six frame was tall and slim.
Though she was all legs and her body was toned, she didn’t have hips and ass for days like a lot of the other women.
Frustrated and ready to throw the towel in on her career, Reina exchanged numbers with Brooke and headed home. As much as she didn’t want to ask her mother to let her come back home, she needed to be better prepared before she left. Not only would she need to have money saved, but she would also need to have a job. As she sat in her car in the driveway, Reina prayed that God would move on her behalf.
There had to be more to life than this.
Chapter 2
Reina
Eleven Months Later – February
“Can’t believe I let Brooke talk me into this,” Reina grumbled, following the man to a quieter side of the restaurant.
For the past six months, she’d been working at Cheeks – a black owned version of Hooters. It wasn’t her dream or even her dream job, but her pretty face, slim frame, and flirtatious ways allowed her to make a lot of money as a waitress.
Laditra swore she put Reina out to teach her a lesson. To teach her that it was time for her to grow up and become a responsible adult. But all that lesson did was teach Reina that she couldn’t depend on anyone but herself, and that all her brothers had to depend on was her. So she’d made saving as much money as she possibly could her priority. Truthfully, she didn’t know when Laditra would get the urge to teach her another lesson, and Reina wanted to be prepared this time, because she would not be going back.
Harold, as the man introduced himself, pulled her chair out before taking a seat at the one that was across the table. He was trying not to stare at her, but his eyes kept coming back to her. Harold nervously chuckled when Reina smiled at him. She was used to men staring at her. They were often captivated by her beauty – especially her eyes. It wouldn’t surprise her if Harold was about to request to be her sugar daddy.
“Not that I don’t mind the break, but my manager will give me a hard time if he sees me sitting down for too long,” Reina shared softly.
“Oh. Yes. Right.” Harold cleared his throat and sat up in his seat. “I apologize. I just…” His head shook as he stared at her. “It’s uncanny.”
Tilting her head so that her ear was more in the direction of his mouth, Reina asked, “What’s uncanny?”
“Nothing.” He put his hands in prayer position before cupping them on top of
the table. “I have a proposition for you, and it will seem a little strange to you.”
The fact that he warned her that it would be strange made Reina believe he was about to be on some creep shit. Releasing a long exhale, Reina crossed her arms over her chest. Already, she was closed off to whatever he was about to say.
“My family is very wealthy. We dabble in oil and gas, along with stocks and bonds. But, there are some things that money simply can’t buy,” was the beginning of his spiel, and as much as Reina didn’t want it to, it piqued her interest. Dropping her arms from her chest, she gave him her full attention.
“My nephew, Hudson Gray, was involved in a really bad car accident about six months ago. Since, he’s gone to rehab and learned how to walk again. His short-term memory has been wiped completely. Hudson doesn’t remember the last two years of his life. He’s set to return home from rehab in forty-eight hours, and my brother and his wife are worried about him. They are currently on a cruise, as they spend the bulk of the year travelling.
But they are worried about Hudson because a lot of the slips he had in his rehab revolved around him slipping into a deep depression that led to him not eating or working diligently at his physical therapy. While he is grateful for his life, he feels as if he’s lost something great and something is missing. Hudson is… a very…” Harold’s head shook as he struggled to find the right words.
“He’s a very indulgent and impassive person when things aren’t going the way he wants them to. Currently, Hudson is the CEO of our financial department. He’s been working for this position since he was sixteen. We, I, fear that this accident is going to cause him to risk and lose it all. Not just for him but for our entire family. We’ve worked too hard to allow him or anyone else to destroy our empire or reputation.”
Reina didn’t reply right away, giving her brain time to fully digest everything that he had said. When all of his words and implications settled, she spoke.
“I’m sorry to hear this, but I’m not understanding what this has to do with me.”
Harold smiled with the right side of his mouth. “The lack that Hudson is feeling comes from losing the woman he loved. She broke up with him right before the accident, and honestly, you look a lot like her. Hudson grieved for her as if she was dead before the accident, and I fear he will slip into an even deeper slump if he has to go through that again.
I had the idea to provide him with companionship in her stead. So he won’t be sad and lonely and making horrible decisions once he makes it home. Basically, I want you to pretend to be his fiancée to keep him busy while we wait to see if his memory fully returns.”
At first, Reina’s chuckle was low and quiet. When Harold’s expression remained serious her laugh grew. She didn’t try to stop laughing until her eyes watered.
“What in the BAPS type of shit is this?” she asked, chuckle fading quietly.
Harold laughed quietly himself as he sat back in his seat. “I told you it was strange.”
“Yea,” she replied quickly with a shake of her head. “You don’t think he’s going to be distant towards a woman he won’t even remember? And even if he wasn’t, his friends and family would know we haven’t been dating or engaged for that matter.”
“Trust me, Hudson will do whatever it takes to remember a woman as beautiful as you. And when he can’t, he will do everything he can to create new memories with you. I’ve already discussed this with his parents, our family, and his closest friends. They all have agreed to go along with it if I found the right woman. More than anything, they don’t want anything worse to happen to Hudson.
He’s never been into social media, so there isn’t anything that he can check other than old pictures to see if you’ve been in his life. And that’s an easy fix. All you’d have to do is give him some type of excuse like you don’t like to take pictures.”
Reina’s head shook as she scooted her chair back from the table. There was no part of her that wanted anything to do with tricking a man that had already suffered through so much. If he’d lost his short-term memory and ability to walk, that was enough suffering for anyone’s lifetime. All Reina could think about was the day his memory returned, and he realized all of this had been a set up.
No.
She wanted no parts of it.
“I’m really sorry about what happened to your nephew, but I want no parts of this.”
Reina stood, but before she could walk away, Harold’s hand grabbed her wrist. It wasn’t hard or violent, more so out of need. She looked down and into his pleading eyes.
“Please. Don’t leave yet. At least let me share with you how you will be compensated.”
Compensated?
Well duh.
Surely he wouldn’t have expected her to pretend to be this man’s fiancée for free.
Slowly, Reina sat back down as Harold released her wrist.
“If you agree,” Harold started, voice shaky. He paused and inhaled a deep breath to calm his nerves. There was one thing Reina couldn’t deny – he clearly cared about his nephew, and that made her feel a little better. “You will receive a check every month for fifty-thousand dollars. This covers any expenses you have for your bills and things like that. It also covers your silence. You will have to sign a nondisclosure agreement and contract, though. No one is to know the truth outside of our family. Not even Hudson.
If for whatever reason Hudson decides he no longer wants to marry you, the contract will immediately be nullified, but the NDA will still be in place. All payments will cease.”
“And if he does marry me?”
Harold’s smile returned as he stood. “You will have the honor of marrying into a very elite, very rich, very powerful black, sometimes crazy ass family.” Reina smiled before chuckling quietly with a nod. “I have a file for you in my car. It includes the NDA, contract, and information on my nephew and our family. If you’re interested, I’ll go get it for you.”
Looking around, Reina weighed her options. Stay here and work God only knows how long until she has enough money saved to move out, then work twice as hard to pay for school, or run up a quick check pretending to be this man’s wife. Marriage didn’t last for forever these days anyway. And who even knew if they would get along? If all she got out of this was one check, that was more than enough to make sure her and her brothers would be straight for a little minute.
Releasing a sigh, Reina returned her eyes to Harold. She swallowed hard and rushed out, “You can go get it,” before she would regret it.
Harold wasted no time rushing out of the restaurant with a wide smile.
When Harold returned with the file, Reina opened it and looked at the contents inside. The first thing she saw was a picture of who she assumed to be Hudson, and her heart literally skipped a beat at the sight of him as her mouth dropped open.
“Woah,” she muttered softly, running her fingers over his picture. “He’s beautiful.”
“His heart is, too. Hudson has always had bad luck with choosing women. He loves too fucking hard and quick.” Reina looked up and at him. “His father and I tried to stress to him how important it was to take his time when choosing a woman because of who he was and what he had, but he never cared about that.” Harold smiled bitterly as his head hung. “So maybe me picking you will do his heart some good.”
Tightening her jaw, Reina nodded and swallowed hard. She licked her lips and lowered her attention back down to the picture.
Reina could tell that he was tall and built solid. His chest was wide. His muscles were prominent but not excessive. Hudson had a curly, mini tapered fro. Naturally curly – not that sponge manufactured shit that had somehow become a trend. He had a square face and strong jaw. Stubble. Pink, full lips. Glowing walnut shell colored skin.
Yea, he was fine as hell.
Setting the picture aside, she looked over the nondisclosure agreement and contract. Both were simple and easy to follow. She noticed on the contract that she would have to move into Hudson’s home
as soon as she signed.
With a shake of her head, Reina looked from the contract to Harold.
“I’m not really comfortable moving in with him. My brothers rely on me heavily.”
“For this to work, you’ll need to stay with him. I’ll give you time to say goodbye to your brothers before we move you in. And you can always visit them. But you’ll be living a new life. New car, new wardrobe. New home – a big, nice one at that.”
Reina sighed and scratched her head as she continued to look over the contract. When she was done, she glanced at the facts sheet that Harold had included to help her get to know Hudson. Figuring she would have to memorize everything before she saw him, Reina decided that she’d seen enough.
“You could very easily be luring me into a sex trafficking ploy.”
Harold took the folder from her hand and began to sign the contract. “I’m not. My intentions are pure. When you sign this, you can send it to your attorney if you have one. If not, I will go with you to hire one. The first payment will be sent to your bank account immediately. Which is also another reason you will need to live in the house. I need to make sure I have access to you outside of just having your number. For the amount of money I’m giving you, I don’t need you changing your mind and leaving town.”
Reina understood a bit more now. She nodded, wondering how she would explain randomly moving out. More so to Rico than anyone else. Her mother wouldn’t give a damn and her younger brothers didn’t need a reason or excuse. Harold slid the folder back in her direction. Their eyes remained locked for a few seconds before she signed both documents.
After signing, Reina released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
“I’ll schedule to have the funds transferred now, but we will need to stop by the bank. I can follow you to your home, and you can leave your car there. Grab only the things of value to you to make the house feel and look more like your own.
