by Sherell Lynn
“With all due respect sir, I have a job to do. I’m sure you understand, with this being for your company and all.”
“Please call me Adam. And since this is my company, that makes me the boss. No one can and will say anything if I decided it is you I want.”
I was being presumptuous, however I wanted her to know exactly what my thoughts, and plans I had for her were.
“Okay, Mr. De Luca. Enjoy your event.”
Before I could tell her to just call me by my first name again, she disappeared and my younger brother appeared.
“Looks like someone isn’t buying what you’re selling, big bro,” my brother, Alex, stated, slapping me on my back.
“She is just playing hard to get. She will be mine whether she knows it or not,” I declared.
Alex looked in the direction where the server had taken off. Once he realized it was her standing around the far room table, he gazed upon her and spoke,
“This is rather odd seeing you go after a woman whose skin is not ivory white. That girl has my name written all over her backside.”
This took me off guard, but only for a minute. “Little brother, go find your own woman to play with.”
Alex ran his finger through his hair, something he did whenever he was frustrated.
“That’s just it, Adam. That woman you were speaking with isn’t a conquest. I can tell she is different. She is standoffish and timid. You will break her if you continue to go after her.”
I laugh, “Alex she isn’t some little delicate flower, she is a woman, who just needs a real man.”
“That man isn’t you, Adam. I can tell she is a relationship type of girl.”
I considered what he was saying for a moment. This girl had intrigued me. I wanted to know more about her. I had to get to know more about her. One day, I would have to settle down and if I had the chance to wake up to her every morning, then I without a doubt would happily give up every woman I had on speed dial. At thirty-three years old, it was about time. I glanced over at my brother, who was still looking at the server. I later learned from Ava that the server’s name was Bella.
It angered me that Alex was gawking at her; it had been a long time since we had fought over a girl. And today I was going to shut this shit down before it even started. “Alex, she is mine. She will be mine. Accept it and move on.”
He smirked. “Are you sure about that? She hasn’t even said she wanted to date you, let alone be your woman. I will fall back and watch you fall on your ass. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Alex stormed off. He was always a bit dramatic. I had to come up with a plan to see her again.
That brought me back to the present. I didn’t need to be reminded about my past actions over the weekend of why I was here. My purpose was standing right in front of me. She had just asked me how I was doing. I wanted to tell her that I was going out of my mind with thoughts of her. I decided to keep that part to myself.
“Bella, you are looking beautiful today, so beautiful that it’s bringing a bit of joy to my day.”
She shook her head and her gorgeous dark brown eyes landed on me in what looked like disbelief.
“How did you know my name?”
I held her gaze and responded, “I tend to make it my business to know about whatever, or whoever interests me.”
“Oh, so I interest you, huh?”
Why was this woman being so stubborn? I don’t remember a time where I had to work so hard to get a woman’s attention.
“Yes, you interest me very much.”
She rolled her eyes before carrying on. “That’s nice to know. Is there a reason you’re here today? Was everything okay with your event?”
Don’t get me wrong. Bella was a beautiful woman, but for the life of me, I could not figure out why a beautiful woman would hate the attention of an attractive man. Not only was I attractive, I also had money. I could have any woman I wanted, but here I was groveling for her. Maybe I was coming at her wrong. Maybe my brother was right. She is not like my other one-night stands. There was a lot less talking with them. She was different. I had to reconvene. I took a step back to observe her. Her hair was down past her shoulders, she was wearing a nice yellow top that complemented her remarkable skin color, with a tight black knee length skirt that displayed her long stunning brown legs and a nice pair of fuck-me heels. Looking at her was like looking at hot sex waiting to happen. Yeah, I definitely needed to reconvene. Instead of answering her question, I checked my watch and told her there’s an impressing matter that I had to get to. It wasn’t a lie. I need to find a way to make her mine.
17
Bella
Yesterday had been strange. Ava came back to the office in a better mood, but once I gave her a recap of what she’d missed she seemed to get upset all over again. I was starting to suspect it had something to do with Adam De Luca. That whole encounter with him at the office today was probably the strangest part of the day. He had come in looking like a million bucks. Hell, he was worth a few million or billion, no need to act the part. That didn’t change the fact that I was not going to fall for his lines. I’m sure he was used to getting his way with women. Adam is fine with a capital F.
I tried very hard to hide my attraction to him. That failed I’m sure because of my giddy smile and my downright staring. He had to have known. Nevertheless, I shut him down. He was flirting and I had to make it a point I didn’t want that. Adam must have got the memo because he never answered why he was at my job. He claimed there was some meeting he had to go to. Why stop by and not mention the point of your visit. He was up to something. Maybe Makaila would fall for it, not Bella. There’s not a man on the planet that would make me fall into their trap.
I was sitting in the Department of Motor Vehicles. Ava had agreed that I would have Tuesdays off since I was now a server for the catering events on Saturdays. I had been studying for weeks now in preparation to get my driver’s license. Yes, I know it’s crazy that at twenty-eight years old, I don’t know how to drive. I never had the need to learn until now. I had to give Raymond his props because of him and his friends I had truly become Bella Chapman. I had an ID, a Social Security card, and a birth certificate. All those nights of being carded for drinks, had me feeling like Raymond was my guardian angel. I was once again thankful. Because of him, I could get my driver’s license.
In the past, there was always other means of transportation such as buses or subways, taxi and Ubers. Even though taking an Uber or a taxi was assessable, I didn’t want to spend the money for a driver every day. Ms. Brenda had been gracious enough for me to drive her car for my lessons and now I would be taking my test in it. I was pretty ecstatic about that. I had become quite comfortable behind the wheel of her 2016 Kia Optima. It wasn’t the most expensive or nicest car in the world, but I loved it. I think I told Ms. Brenda that every time I stepped behind the wheel.
After a thirty-minute wait in line, a five-minute eye exam, a forty-five-minute computer test, a twenty-minute driving test followed by another thirty-minute wait in line I finally walked out of the DMV a proud license holder. Mr. Garett and Ms. Brenda had come along like the proud parents of an overgrown child. Not to say I was a child, but the way they were carrying on, one would think so.
I mean they were in there turning heads and not in a good way. Mr. Garett was the worst. He went on and on about how we should not have to stand by and wait for anything. He was a vet and I, his “daughter,” was an extension of him and she waited for no one. Ludicrous, right? Ms. Brenda, on the other hand, tried to use her womanly persuasions with the security guard. That led to an all-out argument between her and Mr. Garett. I’m surprised we weren’t kicked out with their antics.
It had all been worth it, though. Ms. Brenda decided that we needed to celebrate like the proud parent she was pretending to be. I accepted. I could not say it enough how thankful I was for all her help. We were now sitting at Cantina Kitchen, a popular restaurant in town. It was well known for its au
thentic Mexican cuisine, my favorite, and blueberry-lime margaritas, another one of my favorites. Taking a sip of my blueberry lime margarita, I give my full attention to Ms. Brenda.
“I love this place. They must have had me in mind when coming up with the menu. I have not found anything on it that I don’t like.”
She took a sip of her own drink, a Long Island iced tea, before she spoke. “I can see why you love it here. It has a nice ambience.”
“Yes, it does,” I responded.
“Bella, I must say I am so proud of you. You have come so far. Many women struggle, I am not saying you don’t, but I know how hard it is to deal with abuse in any form. And look at you. Your life has been tough to say the least, but every day you get up and you keep moving forward.” By this point, she was in tears.
I offered her a napkin to wipe her tears away. I wiped my own tears and took her hand. “I owe a lot of the credit to you.”
Ms. Brenda shook her head in disagreement. “Not at all. I can’t tell you how many young women I have helped who have gone back to the same type of lifestyles that led them to my shelter in the first place. You, on the other hand, have managed to get a great job that you love. You have also been able to get a home that you pay all the bills on as well. On top of that, you take care of that stubborn man, Mr. Garett and you just got your license. Your resilience is remarkable.”
The makeup I was wearing became a landslide of a mess running down my face. The waitress came over and just stood there before she decided that it was a good time to place the food on the table. I looked up at her, and told her we were fine and our tears were tears of joy. She then placed our food on the table, leaving us to shed a few more tears. We both had order the caldo de pollo. After eating our soups, we declined dessert and made our way out of the restaurant. I hugged Ms. Brenda before we made our way outside.
Leaning closer to her I said, “It’s a shame we had to drop Mr. Garett off to go to work. He missed a good meal.”
She nodded. “He really wanted to be here, but he had a pressing matter to attend to.”
“I thought he had to work?” I was sure that was what he said when he rushed us back to the house. Maybe I was wrong.
“Come on let’s go,” she said, nudging us toward the door.
We made our way outside toward her car. I noticed that there was a car identical to Ms. Brenda’s car parked next to hers. “Ms. Brenda, what are the odds that two identical cars park beside each other?” While hers was a cherry red, this one was white and looked to be a few years older.
She looked at her car and then back at the other car. “This is kinda odd. It looks like the door is unlocked too,” she said as she begins to open the car door.
“Ms. Brenda, Ms. Brenda, what are you doing? Get out of that car!” I exclaimed, alarmed that she would go to the extreme of breaking and entering a car. Well, technically it was unlocked.
“It’s okay. I know the owner.” She turned to me and out of nowhere, Mr. Garett appeared jiggling keys in his hand.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were at work,” I said to Mr. Garett.
“Well, I was working, working on getting you this car.” He laughed and tossed me the keys.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Are you serious?” I asked, crying hysterically.
My hands were shaking so bad I had dropped the keys. I picked the keys up from the ground and stared at them for a moment.
“Is this for real?” I finally questioned.
Mr. Garett grabbed me by the shoulders. “Yes, young lady, it is for real. I went down to the dealership and put the down payment on it, but you will have to make monthly payments. So, it is not all free and clear.”
Amazed. That was the only way to describe how I felt. We spent several minutes outside the restaurant talking. I looked over at my new car. Well it wasn’t brand, brand new, but it’s new to me. It was not a Bentley or Aston Martin or anything that screamed made of money, but it was mine and I loved it.
18
Adam
I pulled into my brother’s driveway in my black Porsche Panamera Turbo. I locked the car and strolled to his front door. Alex’s house was a nice two-story brick home on the outskirts of town right before the city limits. Before I could knock on the door, it opened.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked, embracing Alex in a bro hug.
Stepping out of the doorway to let me in he said, “I don’t get many visitors, so when I hear a car alarm I know to expect company. What brings you by?”
I walked into his den and took a seat. “I need your help.”
“Really? How so, big bro?” Alex said, looking amused.
“Wipe that smug look off your face. I’m serious.” I gave him a stern look to show him I meant business.
“Okay, what do you need?” he acquiesced.
“I need you to help me figure out a way to get Bella into my bed.”
“Who the fuck is Bella?” he asked.
Annoyed that he could forget, I responded, “She is the server from the Christmas party.”
“Oh…her…hmm…”
“Hmm, what the fuck, Alex? Speak some got damn English,” I sputter.
He walked over to make himself a drink and offered me one. I accepted it. He then took a seat on the opposite couch. “I think I told you before that going after that girl is a bad idea.”
“Yeah, well, that’s my business.”
“If it was so much of your business, then why involve me?”
I took a sip of the scotch he’d handed me. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he was right. In order for me to get what I want, I needed his knowledge of how to romance a woman. He loved that one and only bullshit. He was a true relationship guy. That was why I needed him.
“You’re right, little brother. Forgive me. I went to talk to her earlier today. She shut me down. I need you to…I don’t know…just help me please.”
“Do you really like this girl?” He got up to refill his drink. He then turned and watched my every move, waiting to see if he could spot a lie.
“Yes, I do and I will admit she is out of my league. I don’t do relationships. You know that, but for her, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
“I have never seen you so desperate, Adam. Usually, it’s me walking around here like a lovesick puppy. Women…” He sighed.
I loved women too, but not in the same way Alex did. I had to have a different one to feed all of my cravings. And when I got bored, it was on to the next female who caught my eye.
“This is a nice change of line-up for you. What’s the matter? Did you run out of white women to pursue?”
He was right again. I had never really dated outside my race. That didn’t mean I didn’t notice the beauty in brown skin. No woman of color had ever gotten to me like Bella did. I had never wanted any woman, no matter what color, as bad as I wanted her.
“Very funny. Are you going to help me or not?” I got up and started walking the room waiting patiently for him to speak. My patience was growing thin.
“Where do I begin?” he questioned.
Hours later, I walked out his door feeling better than ever. Alex and I had switched places. The student had become the master. I had helped Alex get his first piece of ass the minute he expressed interest. Now, he was helping me in my first and what I hoped to be my last relationship.
19
Bella
I had officially been driving two weeks now. I was relieved not to be a burden on anyone anymore. Tonight was the De Luca New Year’s Eve Party. We were scheduled to cater the event. I hadn’t seen Adam since that awkward day at the office. I had been speaking to his assistant about the catering menu and party favors finally finalizing everything on Wednesday. Ava was not too happy about that. It didn’t leave too much time to get ingredients and prepare the food. Nicole was still out due to her injury, so I was expected to help serve. That didn’t bother me one bit, I had been enjoying meeting new people. I found that people tend to
be in great moods when it came to getting together and celebrating. It made me feel good to discern that there was still hope and happiness to be found in socializing.
Speaking of socializing, I was aware that I would eventually run into Adam here. I wondered if he would expect me to socialize with him. This was his domain. At his last event that we catered, he had followed me around the room trying his best to seduce me with his charm. I had been able to resist him then, but I was not sure I could a second time. The man was wearing down my resolve. For the past week leading up to this event he had sent me flowers every day—lilies on Monday as if he realized they were my favorite. He’d sent gladiolus on Tuesday, daffodils on Wednesday, peonies on Thursday, and roses on Friday. Each had come with a card that read, Thinking of you, Adam.
I was impressed. Chris was my one and only boyfriend, I had ever had. He never had been this thoughtful. I wanted to call Adam and thank him, but I never did. I was almost afraid to find out what his intentions were. I had consulted Ava about it, she had plenty of experience with men. Since I had known her, she was always going out with this one guy or the next. Luke from the club seemed to be in play for that number one position. That was good because sometimes I felt a little jealousy coming from Ava. That was quickly dismissed when she said how happy she was for me to land a very rich man that’s worth billions. I hurried up and shot that down. There’s no time to be landing a billionaire. My life is finally good. Adam’s a man. I didn’t need a man. Men caused problems. I am enjoying a man free, problem free life. No complications no matter how rich he is.
Ava was doing her final walk-through as she often did before the guests arrived.
“Bella, I want you on drinks all night. It is New Year’s Eve, so we need to keep the bubbles popping. Max, you will handle the appetizers. Everyone else see Raymond because throughout the night you will be changing the food items on your trays. He will oversee what goes out. So, if you have any questions, ask him.” She grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured eight shots. She passed one to everyone and held up her own. “Guys, I realize that it is a holiday, one of the biggest holidays of the year. You didn’t have to come tonight. But I am thankful that you all did. Here’s to us bringing in the last day of this year together.” She downed her shot and so did we.
