“Um, I texted her about that. I went out with Denise. It was late, so I, uh…I bunked at her place.”
“Okay. If you say so. I’ll tell Celine.”
“Hey. You know I would’ve called if something was wrong.”
“Sissy, I know. Now you see how I feel. I’ll tell Celine we talked.”
She would go there. At least I’m dating one man.
“Yeah, well, I’ll be home this evening. I’m at work, so talk to you later.” Jada rotated her head in a circle, stretched, and opened her computer. Kiley walked in the door. She stared at the bouquet on Jada’s desk and frowned. It was the funkiest expression Jada had ever seen. Without a good morning, Kiley handed her a stack of paperwork.
“Griff wants you at a sales meeting today.” Kiley fanned her face with a sheet of paper.
“Those meetings are usually on Thursdays. What time is the meeting?”
She rolled her eyes at Jada. “I don’t know. Call and ask him,” she snapped.
Jada glanced up with a ‘no you didn’t say that to me’ look. “I take it Griff asked you to deliver the message. And since you don’t have all the details, you should call him.”
“He’s not in yet, and I’m leaving early for an appointment.”
“Well, please text him and send me the info before you leave.”
“Why should I?” Kiley scrunched her face.
Jada tilted her head and stared at Kiley. This woman is not normal. “For the time and location of the meeting.”
“It’s your meeting. I might not be here when he gets in.” Kiley shifted her focus to the bouquet on Jada’s desk.
Jada stopped typing, crossed her arms and looked at Kiley who wore a blanket of red-burgundy weave that trailed to the middle of her back.
“You know what? It’s your responsibility to do what your boss asked. What’s the problem?”
With pursed lips, Kiley squinted at Jada. “That’s what you think, and I don’t have a problem.”
That was the end of what she’d say to Kiley. She had the nerve to refuse to follow-up with Griff’s request. What was up with this woman? Her attitude had never been this nasty, and Jada intended to let Griff know. Denise likely had information if the meeting concerned the Sales Department. She picked up her phone and called her friend.
“Hey,” Denise said in a sluggish voice.
“Girl, did you go back to sleep?”
“I’m woke but in bed. What’s goin’ on?”
“Kiley mentioned a sales meeting Griff’s having today. You know what time it starts?”
“No. Our meetings are not until Thursday. Same time. Where’d she get that info?”
“Never mind. That dizzy woman didn’t give me any information. I asked her to check with Griff, and she refused.”
“Okay, but text me if there’s a sales meeting.”
Time seemed to drag by during the quarterly management team meeting. For some reason, Kiley didn’t add the meeting date to Jada’s Outlook calendar, which she was supposed to do for her and Griff. Jada wasn’t a manager, but they felt she should be present since the agenda involved covering some of her responsibilities.
Jada left the conference room and glanced at her watch; she looked down the hallway. Antoine’s shift ended over an hour ago, and he hadn’t stopped by her office before the meeting. Not even to creep through for a two-minute chat during the newscasts or while the music played. Fighting off a strong urge to go look for him, she turned and strutted back to her office. He was likely in the studio doing voice overs or working on another project.
She sat at her desk and swiveled her chair around to the computer. She tried to remember if he’d mentioned an appointment that she’d forgotten. Nothing popped up on the calendar in her cell. She picked up her cell and texted Antoine.
Hey, baby. I missed you. Did you leave the station?
As the seconds ticked into minutes, Jada stared at the computer, doing her work in between worrying. It was unusual for him not to text or call back immediately if he wasn’t on the air or in the studio. When her cell chimed, she picked it up.
In a business meeting. We’ll talk tomorrow. Love you!
A slow breath escaped her lungs, relaxing every tense muscle in her body. At least it was nothing urgent. But why couldn’t he call her this evening?
Chapter 21
ANTOINE
Monday
The drive to the LAX Airport Courthouse wouldn’t take long. Not that Antoine cared, this meeting with Kiley was apparently a fraud or blackmail. His sad mood, a rarity from his upbeat, positive character, was the reason he didn’t stop by Jada’s office before he headed out to meet Kiley. He didn’t want to give off any unintentional negative signs. Jada’s intuition was sharp, and he’d already been under her radar.
He found a parking spot in the courthouse parking lot off LaCienega and parked in between two cars. Once he turned the music down, the turmoil that swarmed full force returned. How did he get caught up in a mess like this? What, and how, would he explain to Jada? There was no logical explanation for something that never happened. He leaned back on the headrest and waited. When he saw a woman, who resembled Kiley walking across the lot, his eyes followed her. She stopped at the entry and slipped her arms into a bulky black sweater as she strutted through the door.
He waited ten minutes, and then picked up his briefcase before climbing out the SUV and setting the alarm. Before he headed for the courthouse cafeteria, he remembered to text Joy an approximate time that he’d be available for lunch at the café across the street. Antoine set his iPhone on record and placed the cell and Bluetooth inside his briefcase.
From the time he walked in, Antoine discerned the sneaky smile that smeared Kiley’s face. His suspicion heightened. He wanted to admonish her not to play games and thought hard for two seconds about threatening to report her to Griff. The issue with that — everybody at the station would know his business, including Jada.
He slid into a chair across from Kiley. “I don’t have time to waste. This meeting will be brief. What’s this about?” he placed his briefcase on the table.
“Like you don’t know.” Kiley narrowed her eyes. “You made me come here to a courthouse?” She sneered and glanced around. “This is so tacky.”
“I didn’t make you do nothing. This was your idea, and what did you expect, lunch at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know where that place is. You coulda treated me to lunch at the Sizzler.”
“For the record, I’m here strictly because you asked to meet face-to-face. Now, what do you want?” He scanned the cafeteria noting the small number of people talking and eating lunch. Others waited at the counter for their food. Antoine was relieved that none of the customers were close enough to hear their conversation.
“Knock off the denial. I’m sixteen weeks pregnant and this baby is yours.”
He leaned forward. “Have you lost your mind? We talked about this before. I’ve never had sex with you.”
“Wrong. Oh, we had sex.” Kiley splayed her fingers, inspecting her long red fingernails. “Problem is,” she wagged a finger, “you don’t wanna remember. The night you gave me a lift home, got my sound system up. Sound familiar?” She gazed at Antoine. “It happened after a few shots of Chivas Regal, and it was so good.” Her pink lips stretched from ear-to-ear.
Antoine stared at her. Kiley’s antics smoldered the last bit of his kindness as his patience ran short. “That’s a lie, and I’m not going for it. I don’t even drink Chivas Regal.”
Kiley unbuttoned the sweater and placed her hands on a small bump in her stomach. “You drank it that night. And you did more than drink alcohol. Deny it if you wish, but…I wouldn’t do that.”
Antoine folded his arms and leaned back trying to wrap his mind around this calamity. He was bothered by his vague memory of that night. Why couldn’t he remember everything? This woman was obviously trying to blackmail him for money, attention, or wha
tever. “You know what? You served me tea and lemon cake. Unless you spiked it, I don’t recall drinking anything else. And I don’t believe I had sex with you, so what’s next?”
Her silly grin remained in place as she snickered. “You’ll find out. Count on it.”
Antoine kept his cool as Joy recommended. He rose and lifted his briefcase from the table. “Screw up my job or personal life and you can count on me suing you. This meeting is over.”
Chapter 22
ANTOINE
Monday
Antoine jogged across the parking lot from the courthouse and entered the Bistro Town Café. He spotted Joy sitting in a corner tapping information into her cell. She pushed up from the seat when she saw Antoine, and they embraced.
“Hey, baby sis, you look fab.” Antoine admired his sister. Joy graduated at the top of her class from Stanford Law School. She always dressed professionally and kept her shoulder-length hair looking as if she’d just left the salon.
“What’s new with the job?” Joy asked. She removed the matching brown and beige jacket to her dress and placed it over the back of the chair.
“It’s all cool. They switched my show to days; that was a surprise.”
“Oh. No more driving home at 2:00 in the morning. But you prefer nights, how are days working for you?”
“I’m adjusting; still love my job.”
“I ordered already; I was hungry. Are you eating?”
“No, I’m straight. Grabbed a bite on the way. How’s the hubs and my niece?”
“Merlon’s fine, busy as ever at the law firm. And Cheyenne celebrated her fourth birthday last week.”
“What? You should’ve FaceTimed and let me wish her a Happy Birthday.”
She rolled her eyes. “Like I would’ve caught up with you. I don’t know how you find time to eat, sleep, or do anything with your schedule. And you have a new girlfriend, too? Cheyenne had a ball at her party. We invited a few friends from her daycare.”
“That’s boss. I’m busy, but I’ll always find time for family and my girl.” Antoine dug in his briefcase and removed his cell and wireless Bluetooth, pushing them across the table to Joy. “Here’s the recording. The meeting wasn’t long, so I don’t know if this will help.”
His sister placed the Bluetooth in her ear. “After I listen, we’ll talk about this Kiley woman.” A short time later, she handed the phone and Bluetooth back to Antoine.
“First, are you positive about not having sex with her?”
“Absolutely.”
“Because nothing that I do will matter if you’re the father of her child.”
“As I’ve said before, we work at the station together. That’s it.”
“And that’s ridiculous,” Joy cocked her head to the side. “She says you’re the father; you say no. You both have different opinions on whether you had sex?”
If Antoine could ax this conversation right now, he would. Kiley’s insinuations were outrageous and embarrassing. How could he explain that to his sister?
He pulled his right earlobe. “I don’t know what’s up with that woman. She flirted a lot, but I wasn’t interested. I never dated her.”
Joy raised a brow, “I’m asking one more time.”
He twisted his mouth. If he wanted his sister’s help, he had to empty his crap on the table. “I’m about ninety-nine percent sure that nothing happened. I took her home, set up her stereo system. I don’t remember anything else.”
Joy’s eyes bulged so wide they could have fallen out the sockets. “Ninety-nine percent sure, and you don’t remember?”
Antoine nodded.
The waiter returned to the table and placed Joy’s salmon salad and diet coke in front of her. “We may have a problem. You didn’t tell me that part. What happened that night before and after you went to Kiley’s? No, wait.” After a bite of salmon, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and handed Antoine a pen and tablet. “Brainstorm that question while I eat. When you’re ready, start writing details. Everything.”
He wrote notes for almost twenty minutes, stopped and read them, continuing until he finished. He slid the tablet across the table. “That’s what I recall.”
Joy pushed her plate aside and picked up the paper. At one point, she frowned and glanced at Antoine. “Iced tea and lemon cake at one in the morning?”
He hunched his shoulders. “Why not? I was working on her sound system. She offered it to me.”
“Ant, clarify this part.” Joy underlined a section of his notes and showed it to him.
Antoine went on to explain why he went up to Kiley’s place. He also revealed the details that occurred at the event and at Kiley’s, including the weird feeling that overpowered him before he fell asleep. Joy asked for one or two weeks to work on all the information that he’d provided, and she also volunteered to contact a private investigation firm to dig into Kiley’s background.
“I won’t make assumptions. What I know is she sounds like trouble, big brother.” Joy tapped her nails on the table. “What do you believe is her motive for possibly framing you with this pregnancy? Money, notoriety, revenge because she can’t have you. Mental illness should be a consideration, too.” She placed the tablet in her briefcase.
“I wish I knew. You know I’m picky about the women I date, and this is a prime example of why.” He rested his face against a palm and gazed at the table. “I mean…there was no relationship. At all. That’s why this whole situation is beyond crazy.”
“You’re right. Did you see a doctor?”
“I did. The next day I went to a clinic, saw a doctor and he ordered labs. I felt better, so I never returned for the results.”
Joy tilted her head and said, “Ant. You know that was important, right ?”
“I get that. Just wanted to clear my head and move on. I’m dating a smart, beautiful woman now . I need a copy of those labs.”
“ I’ll email you a release of authorization form. Sign it and send it back.”
“Speaking of dating…when will Pop and I get to meet this gem you’ve told me about? I’m sure you plan to bring her up north. Merlon can fire up the grill one weekend.”
“Whenever she’s ready.” His cell chimed with a text notification. He lifted his phone off the table and smiled. “Jada,” he glanced at his sister. “You know…Uh, I’d prefer you not tell Pop I’m dating. I’ll get around to telling him.”
A scant smile crossed Joy’s lips. “You don’t plan to, do you?”
“It’s not a priority. I’m working on my problems down here first. Jada doesn’t know about this Kiley dilemma. What do I say to her? Kiley said she’s carrying my baby and we’ve never had sex?” He shook his head. “This is insane.”
Joy frowned. “I can imagine. But the first chance you get, tell her. By the way, I’ve read the information you sent on the dress shop. Do you want to give Jada my number?”
“Not really. I promised her I’d handle this.”
“You have issues of your own to handle, and I may need some additional information.”
“Text me what you need, and I’ll communicate with her. I need the owner’s name. If you find that info, I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Okay. Be careful,” Joy said.
Antoine recognized a familiar expression on her face. The same one she had when she warned him about Fiona
“Jada’s your lady and you care for her. I know you, so don’t get in above your head.”
“I’ve got this. She’s stressing out.”
Joy leaned forward. “And so are you.”
Antoine chewed his bottom lip but remained silent. She doesn’t understand how close Jada and I are. Their relationship had reached a profound level that neither had expected this soon.
Joy touched his hand. “I’m looking out for you. That’s all.”
He gazed into her eyes. “She’s not like Fiona.”
“Ant, I’m not implying that she is. I just think—”
“I know what you’re thinking,�
�� he cut her off. He stared at his sister. “I appreciate your concern. I’m straight.” He rubbed the side of his face. “In fact. I, uh, haven’t told her about our family dynasty yet, either. She thinks I’m a DJ who lives with my cousin. I’ll keep it that way for now.”
Joy repositioned in her seat. “Ant, you can’t keep hiding your family’s wealth. Don’t you think it’s time to inform Jada?”
“It’s way past time, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet.”
“Pray about it, sit down and have that discussion with her soon.”
Chapter 23
JADA
Tuesday
Is this way too good to be true? Jada’s spirit felt something wasn’t right with Antoine. Lately, a black cloud seemed to be hovering and hadn’t lifted. Other than the one text from him, she’d received no messages or calls. She texted him last night and called this morning, but no answer.
The light turned red and she hit the brakes. Antoine had her so distracted, she’d nearly ran a red light. She pressed a hand to her chest. Why hadn’t she called in today? Although Doreen could use some additional training, Shamika was sharp and capable of handling her job. Jada swerved into the radio station parking lot and spotted Antoine’s blue truck. She pressed her lips together; she wasn’t about to chase him down to find out why he hadn’t called. “Hmph,” she parked several slots down from his car, got out, and hit the alarm.
It was early; hopefully someone had made coffee because she needed some. She opened her office door and propped it open with a doorstop. After placing her purse in a side drawer, she removed her red mug and headed toward the break room. The smell of coffee in the hallway was a positive sign. Will, the News Director, and his staff came in early but rarely made coffee. She stopped by the Sales office and peeked in.
“You’re here early. What’s going on?” Jada asked.
“Hey, girl.” Denise lifted her head from the computer. “Not much. Just thought I’d get here earlier to get some work done. How’re you?”
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