My Destiny

by Adrianne Byrd

  Wes held his hands up in surrender. “Point taken.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, with nothing more than a bruised ego, Miles and Wes returned to their high-rise building. When the elevator’s door slid open on the fourteenth floor, Miles immediately noticed the tall, slender beauty knocking on Ms. Brockman’s door.

  Lu Jin turned in his direction.

  Wes tilted his shades down. “Have mercy, have mercy,” he mumbled under his breath.

  They stepped out of the elevator and Lu Jin moved toward them. “My goodness, what happened to you? You look like you’ve been run over by a Mack truck.”

  Miles approached his apartment door. “You mean your little girlfriend didn’t tell you what happened?”

  Wes cleared his throat.

  Miles glanced over his shoulder and picked up on the hint. “Wes, Lu Jin. Lu Jin, Wes.”

  Wes turned with a ready smile. “How do you do?”

  Lu Jin smiled, but continued with her interrogation. “Are you saying that Destiny had something to do with this?”

  “She attacked him with a can of pepper spray,” Wes explained for his pal.

  Miles glared at him.

  “What?” Wes asked stupefied. “She’s going to find out sooner or later.”

  Miles pushed open his door and entered.

  Wes looked to Lu Jin. “I think your girlfriend bruised his ego.”

  Ignoring Wes, Lu Jin followed Miles to the threshold of his apartment. “So what did you do to her?”

  “Me?” Miles thundered, incredulous. “I didn’t do anything. The girl has a screw loose or something.”

  “Come on. I’ve been best friends with Destiny since college and she doesn’t go around spraying innocent people with pepper spray without a damn good reason.”

  “You mean your girlfriend, right?” Wes continued to weave his way into the conversation.

  Annoyed, Lu Jin exhaled. Slowly, she turned toward Wes, with her hands cradling her hips. “I mean just what I said, Wes.”

  Miles suspected that Lu Jin wanted to call Wes something other than his Christian name.

  Wes didn’t seem to notice her agitation as he looked back over at Miles. “Clears things up for me. What about you?”

  “Crystal. Now if you two don’t mind. I would like to get some rest.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what you did to Destiny?”

  Miles reined in his temper. “I didn’t do anything to your friend. She survived our little meeting unscathed.”

  “Then why isn’t she home?”

  It was getting harder for Miles to hide his irritation. “Do I look like her babysitter?”

  Lu Jin stepped back as he approached her.

  “But when you do see your best friend again, tell her she’s lucky I don’t drag her skinny butt into court for that stunt she pulled today.”

  Lu Jin backed silently out into the hallway.

  Miles didn’t like the uncertainty he read in her eyes. It was the second time today a woman had looked at him with a spark of fear and it unnerved him. At the same time, he didn’t have a firm grasp on his anger so he abandoned any hoped to placate her.

  “Goodbye,” he said, and then closed the door.

  “Well, I guess you just told her,” Wes said, coming out of Miles’s kitchen toting a beer.

  “You can leave, too,” Miles informed him. It wasn’t necessary to sugarcoat anything with Wes. They’d been friends too long for that.

  “So this is how you treat a brother who came to your rescue?” Wes smiled, but walked toward the door. “A man should never burn his bridges.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”

  “All right. I’ll holler at ya later.” Wes opened the door.

  “Later,” Miles said, and headed back to the bathroom, where he made a cool compress, and then fell against his bed with the towel draped over his eyes. It had been quite embarrassing to have Wes rush him to the emergency room and have his eyes washed out with saline water.

  Destiny’s image resurfaced and Miles groaned with disgust. “That woman has to be the devil incarnate,” he mumbled.

  The phone rang and he considered not answering, but he had a good idea who was calling him. He picked up the receiver. “Hello, Momma.”

  “What on earth are you still doing home?’ she demanded.

  “Because some crazy woman emptied a can of pepper spray into my eyes.”

  “What?”

  At least Miles had won a note of sympathy from her.

  “What did you do to the poor woman?”

  “Me? Why do you suspect that I was the one at fault?”

  “Because I know you better than anyone.”

  “And as my mother you believe that I would do something to a woman that justifies being accosted with a can of pepper spray?”

  “Miles, stop being dramatic and tell me what happened.”

  “I’ll tell you what happened. For the first time in my life I met a woman that I absolutely can’t stand and wish to hell that I never have to see again.”

  Chapter 6

  Destiny’s first day on the job was a whirl of activity. After the usual introductions to the members of Phillips, Anderson and Brown, she was shown to a small office with a dismal view of another looming high-rise. The office came equipped with a beautiful mahogany desk and an exquisite leather chair that was as comfortable as it was stunning.

  She could tell upon her first meeting with her personal secretary, Jeanne, a perky-faced blonde, they were going to be a great team. When all the niceties were over, Destiny promptly dove into her work and the day flew by.

  Her goal was to make partner at the prestigious firm within seven years. In the next decade she’d pursue politics. A smile fluttered to her lips. It had been Adam’s exact plan. She’d loved his ideas on tax and education reform and had now adopted them as her own.

  A quick rap on the door jolted her from her pleasant memories. “Come in.”

  The door pushed open and Jeanne poked her head in and, despite the late hour, gave her a radiant smile that reached her sparkling blue eyes. “A Ms. Stella Fernandez is here to see you.”

  Destiny looked at her watch and frowned. “It’s five o’clock. She’s over an hour late.”

  “She says she got stuck in traffic.”

  This would make Destiny late for dinner with her friends, but she supposed there was no time like the present to get used to long hours. She sighed. “Send her in,” she said, retrieving the folder labeled FERNANDEZ from her in-box. She made a quick scan of its contents before her office door reopened and a beautiful, statuesque, Spanish woman entered.

  Destiny stood and welcomed the woman with a firm handshake and a warm smile. “Good afternoon, Ms. Fernandez. I’m Destiny Brockman. You did receive our letter informing you that James Holden has left the firm and that I will be the new attorney handling your case?”

  “Sí.”

  “Well, please excuse the mess. I’m still in the middle of moving in. Won’t you have a seat?”

  “Gracias,” Stella said, with a timid smile, and then took a seat in one of the vacant chairs across from Destiny.

  Destiny got straight to the point as she settled back in her chair. “I see here you want to sue your employer for sexual harassment. Is that correct?”

  Stella nodded.

  Destiny gave her an encouraging smile. “And...” She frowned as she shuffled through the papers. “Who was your employer?”

  “I was employed at Nexicon,” Stella answered in a thick accent. “I was the president’s, Mr. Fredrick Boylan’s, personal secretary.”

  Destiny’s eyes brightened with recognition. “Your case is against Mr. Boylan?”

  Her client nodded and withdrew a tissue from her purse to blot her eyes. “I had been to three different firms before Mr. Holden agreed to take my case.”

  “Three?” Destiny’s brows furrowed. “What were the reasons the other firms gave for not taking your case?”

&nbs
p; Stella’s laugh was tainted with odium. “Come on, Señorita Brockman. Fredrick Boylan is a very powerful man and can afford the best attorneys. From what I understand, a Señor Stafford from Mortensen and Foster is representing him.”

  “Mr. Stafford?” Destiny frowned. “That wouldn’t happen to be Miles Stafford, would it?”

  Stella tossed up her hands. “See? You’ve heard of him, too.”

  Destiny’s stomach fell somewhere below her knees. That man was everywhere. “Ms. Fernandez, you came to the right place. I would be delighted to take this case. I’m afraid of neither Mr. Boylan nor Mr. Stafford.’

  Stella’s face glowed with appreciation. “Gracias, Señorita Brockman. Gracias.”

  “No. Thank you.” Destiny’s smile widened. “I’m actually looking forward to kicking Mr. Stafford’s butt in court.”

  * * *

  Miles stared at his cousin from across his desk. “So you admit you propositioned Ms. Fernandez?”

  Fredrick shrugged as if annoyed for having to answer Miles’s questions. “She’s a good-looking woman.”

  “You are aware there are laws prohibiting this type of behavior?” Miles grappled to make some sense of his cousin’s logic or maybe he was just having a hard time with the man’s indifference. He never understood this kind of preying on women and it unnerved him to be related to this man.

  For a moment, his thoughts carried him back to the incident with his new next-door neighbor. Was this the kind of man she thought him to be?

  “Freddie, I don’t know. I’m not real comfortable about this, especially since you’re admitting guilt. Maybe you should just consider settling out of court.”

  Fredrick laughed. “Come on. This is a simple case of her word against mine. Besides, we both know the difference between sexual harassment and a pick-up line is whether the woman finds you attractive.”

  “And in this case Ms. Fernandez did not.”

  “She was playing hard to get, trust me on that. The only reason she’s suing is because I moved on.”

  “And you fired her.”

  “So? She was a lousy secretary.”

  Miles felt the beginnings of a headache.

  Fredrick smiled, clueless of the stress he caused his cousin. “So, how is Aunt Violet doing? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

  Miles managed a half smile. “She’s doing good.” That is until I get my hands on her for getting me into this.

  Fredrick stood and adjusted his suit. It was amazing how a three-thousand-dollar Armani suit did nothing to hide his true nature.

  “Anyway, I have it on good authority that Ms. Fernandez has had a bit of trouble finding someone to take her case. Last I heard she had an appointment with the latest rookie over at Phillips, Anderson and Brown.”

  Miles’s stomach turned.

  “Come on, cousin. This is easy money for you. Besides, you do know the family decree don’t you?”

  “Family takes care of family,” Miles mumbled under his breath. His headache was now sailing toward becoming a massive migraine. He looked at his cousin and then slowly exhaled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Fredrick’s smile resembled a smirk. “Great. I trust you’ll keep me posted?”

  Miles stood from his desk and walked Fredrick to his door. “I want you to know that I’m not one hundred percent sold on this case so I’m not going to make any promises.”

  “Honesty.” Fredrick sounded amused. “I like that.”

  * * *

  Since Destiny’s prayers of avoiding Miles for the rest of her life would go unheeded, she supposed the opportunity to whip the pompous attorney in court was a great consolation.

  Now, back at her apartment, Destiny relayed her day and her version of what happened in the elevator to Lu Jin. “I don’t know,” Destiny said. “Maybe I should move out of this place.”

  Lu Jin plopped on the sofa beside Destiny still laughing after listening to her tale. “Now don’t be ridiculous. Don’t let the creep chase you out.”

  Destiny lifted her wineglass and looked over at her. “Yeah. I know you’re right.”

  “Actually, it sounds like you handled yourself real well in the elevator. I have no doubts that you can handle him in court, too.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’d just as well not see the man again. I don’t like him.”

  “So I gathered,” Lu Jin said, draping her arm around her friend’s shoulders. “But I really do think you’re making way too much out of this.”

  Destiny didn’t think so, but she refrained from saying as much and took another sip of wine. “I’m starving. Where are the guys? They should have been here by now.”

  Elliott and Zack had promised to treat them to Chinese since they’d bailed on Destiny the night of the party and had never returned on the agreed upon hour.

  Lu Jin glanced at her watch. “I don’t know, but I’ll give Zack a ring on his cell phone.”

  Destiny nearly choked. “He bought a cell phone?”

  “Yeah, can you believe it? Poor schmuck is finally getting with the nineties.”

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Finally.” Destiny jumped up from her seat and went to answer the door. “It’s about time you...”

  “Good evening,” Miles greeted.

  Destiny froze as she took in her neighbor’s immaculate presence. If she thought him handsome before, it was nothing compared to what he looked like in a suit.

  “Destiny, who is it?” Lu Jin asked, jerking Destiny out of her stupor.

  “I-it’s, uh.” She blinked, and then noticed the lopsided grin sloped across Miles’s face. “It’s nobody.”

  His smile disappeared.

  She pushed him back and stepped out into the hall. “What are you doing here?” she asked in an angry whisper.

  He held up a manila folder. “Imagine my surprise when I received this today.” He lowered the folder, and then crossed his arms. “I didn’t know you were an attorney. Though after experiencing your sense of justice firsthand, I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  Destiny frowned. “Did you just insult me?”

  Miles smiled again. “Ms. Brockman, I didn’t come here to fight. I merely thought we could discuss this case over dinner. And maybe I can get you to accept my apology for my behavior yesterday in the elevator. Who knows, perhaps we could even resolve the Boylan case quickly and, hopefully this time, painlessly.”

  Destiny crossed her arms and evaluated her opposition. “Mr. Stafford, I accept your apology, but I’m going to be frank with you. I don’t like you and I don’t appreciate you dropping by my home after hours to discuss work.”

  Destiny noticed a twitch along Miles’s jawline.

  “Do you ever get tired of playing Ms. Hardass?” he asked. His eyes darkened as they narrowed on her.

  “Who’s playing?”

  Miles stepped back as if he didn’t trust himself around her. “All right. We’ll play this your way. I’ll just call my client and tell him that you refused to hear our offer.”

  “What offer?”

  “Oh? You’re interested now?”

  Destiny clenched her jaw and reined in her irritation. “I’m not in the position to accept or turn down anything, Mr. Stafford. You know that. If you want to talk business then come by my office tomorrow. I’d appreciate it if you called first. You think you and your cousin can do that?”

  Miles paused. “How did you know that we’re related?”

  A wicked sense of pleasure filled Destiny at seeing his surprise. “One thing to remember about me, Mr. Stafford—I always do my homework. See you in court.” She turned and reentered her apartment with a wide smile of satisfaction.

  * * *

  Miles entered his condo wanting to throw something. That damn woman had a way of getting under his skin. Until he’d met Destiny, he was convinced he had a certain way with women. Once, he would have considered her behavior a challenge. Now, he considered it annoying as hell.

  His ph
one rang. He glanced at the caller ID and mumbled under his breath before he snatched it up. “Hey, Freddie.”

  “So did you talk to her?”

  “Yes and no. I’ll have my secretary get us on her calendar tomorrow, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. I don’t think Ms. Brockman is easily intimidated.”

  Fred sighed wearily into the phone. “You’re not going to suggest that I settle again are you?”

  The fact that this case was weak at best worried Miles, and his suspicion of Destiny being a tough opponent worried him more. The only thing his cousin had in his favor was his money, and with Destiny Brockman that wouldn’t be enough.

  “Miles, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m still here.” He glanced back at his door and hoped there would come a day when he would get another opportunity to go against Ms. Brockman. And if he did, he wouldn’t turn and run. “Freddie, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but either you settle out of court or get yourself a new attorney.”

  Then a funny thing happened...

  Chapter 7

  Five years later...

  Destiny sat bundled in the middle of her bed with a near-empty quart of ice cream and stared dully at the television, which was all she’d been able to do for the past week. Soon after her thirtieth birthday, she’d come to the conclusion she hated everything about her life.

  The job she’d once thought to be a dream had turned out to be a nightmare. The job hadn’t changed, she had; and that fact opened a floodgate of emotions with guilt riding the high tide.

  The phone rang.

  Destiny closed her eyes and wished that everyone would leave her alone. In her heart, she knew they were just concerned, but she wanted time to sort things out.

  The answering machine picked up and her mom’s worried voice filled the room.

  “Destiny, this is your mother calling. I don’t know what’s going on or why you haven’t been at work all this week, but I’ve made arrangements to take the first flight back home tomorrow morning—”

  Destiny snatched up the phone. “That won’t be necessary.”

  “There you are. Where have you been?” Adele snapped. “I’ve been worried sick.”