by Anna Black
She stopped at a window and paid attention to the reflection in the glass to see if she was right. Then she saw a man watching her. She went inside of the store and pretended to look at clothes, and she tried to get a good look at him.
She tried to convince herself that it was just her imagination, but every move she made, his eyes were on her. She decided to get the hell outta the mall and call Tracy. She walked out to the parking lot and pulled out her phone. When he didn’t answer, she didn’t leave a message. She hit the end button and kept talking like she was in a conversation with someone. She opened the door and put her bags on the seat, and she was relieved that she made it inside of her truck safely.
When she put the key in to crank the truck, the man tapped on her window and scared the shit out of her. She tried to put the car in reverse, but he tapped the window again. If she backed out anyway, she may have run over his feet. She tried not to panic. He tapped the glass again and held up a pair of leather gloves. He waved them, and she realized they were hers. How did he get those? She relaxed a little and cracked the window.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but you left these on the counter in Carson’s,” he said, trying to hand them to her. The window wasn’t down far enough, so she hit the down button to open it a little more.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you shouldn’t walk up on a woman in a parking lot. You scared me to death,” she said, taking the gloves from him and letting up the window.
He tapped again. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Well, you did, and thank you for my gloves,” she said trying to cut the conversation.
The man spoke again. “Listen, my name is Gordon, Kendell Gordon.” He handed her a business card. “I’m in advertising, so if you have a business or know anyone who needs a slogan, please pass along my card.”
“Is that right?” she asked, surprised to hear that they were in the same line of business. She relaxed a little.
“Yes, that’s right,” he said with a smile.
“Okay, that’s my field. I work for Douglas & Knight.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of them. I used to work for Gable, Harrison and White, but now I’m doing my own thing,” he said, piquing her interest.
“I work there part-time now. I’ve been planning on going into business for myself too, but unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the ball rolling.”
“Why not? A pretty lady like yourself shouldn’t have any problems getting business.” He smiled at her.
“Well, I’m sure, but I don’t think I’m ready to be on my own just yet,” she said, giving an excuse. Truth was her husband didn’t want her to go into business for herself.
“Well, whenever you think you are ready, let me know. Maybe I could be of help and pass on some pointers.”
“Maybe,” she said and smiled back.
“So, where are you going now? I was on my way to dinner,” he said.
“Well, Mr. Gordon, as you can see, I am married.” She held up the hand that was the home of her five-carat diamond and platinum wedding band. “And I have to get my son.”
“I know you are married. That ring is blinding, trust me. I am not trying to hit on you, I promise. I was just inviting a pretty woman to share a meal. You may have some ideas that may be beneficial to me.” He smiled his beautiful smile and November was flattered, but she only had eyes for Tracy.
“Well, Mr. Gordon, I would have to say no, because as a married woman I wouldn’t accompany a man alone for dinner. But thanks for the invite. I have your card, and if there comes a time when I decide to get out there, and I need some advice, I’ll be sure to use it. Here is one of my cards. Like I said, I work part-time at the agency. If you ever think about having a partner, let me know,” she said. Maybe going into business with someone would be better. And maybe Tracy would let her start that way.
“Okay, Mrs. Stone,” he said, examining her card. “You take care.”
“You too,” she said and backed out of the parking space.
She drove to her sister’s house, smiling because she was happy with her life. She only wished she could start her own business. She couldn’t understand why her husband didn’t want to support her. She didn’t want to keep getting chopped down by the old heads at the company she worked for who were so stuck in the Stone Age they often declined her edgy ideas. Being in business for herself would give her room to push her creativity to the max, and she dreamed of having that for herself constantly. She was content with her life and happy, but she desired more.
She got her baby and headed home. As usual, she put him down, changed, and got dinner on the stove. Tracy called and said he’d be late, so she didn’t rush. She was sitting in the family room playing with TJ when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it from her bag. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hi, this is November,” she said, not recognizing the number.
“November,” a male said on the other end.
She didn’t recognize the voice. “Yes?” she answered.
“Is this a bad time?”
“No, but who is this?”
“This is Kendell.”
“Who?” she asked, confused.
“Kendell Gordon. You gave me your card earlier.”
“Oh, Kendell,” she said, wishing she’d never given him a card. She hadn’t thought he’d be calling her that soon.
“Well, I wanted to know if I could interest you in a business proposition.”
“What type of proposition?” she asked.
“Well, as I said earlier, I’m in business for myself, and I thought it would be wise to ask you to join me. You know, since you have experience. It may be an opportunity for you as well, to break out on your own too.”
“That may be an avenue that I can take, but I’d have to first see your plans and proposals. And talk things over with my husband.”
“Oh, so you have to have permission?”
“No, nothing like that, Mr. Gordon. My husband and I make business decisions together,” she lied. Tracy did whatever he wanted to do whenever he wanted, and she never had a say when he wanted to start something new. “So I would have to run everything by him first.”
“I understand that. How about we set up a meeting and I’ll present you with my proposal? You can pass it on to your husband, and we can take it from there.”
“Okay, that sounds good. When would you like to meet?”
“How about tomorrow for lunch?”
“Well, I don’t think Tracy will be available. I’ll have to let you know.”
“Okay, I understand that, but my presentation is for you, Mrs. Stone. I’m not trying to go into business with your husband. Unless he does the same thing for a living and he is interested in going into business with me. I’m trying to have a business partner in the advertising field.”
November took him to be a little cocky, but she liked his style. “Okay, I will give you a call in the morning after I check my schedule and we will go from there.”
“Okay, Mrs. Stone. I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow.”
“Okay, bye,” she said and hung up. As soon as she put her phone back into her purse, Tracy walked in.
“Hey, baby,” she said and walked over to greet him.
“Hey. How was your day?” he asked.
“Good and yours?
“It was long, and your man is starving,” he said, walking over to the closet to hang up his coat. “Where’s little man?”
“Over there in his playpen,” she said, nodding toward the family room off the kitchen.
Tracy went over and picked him up, and they started playing. November wanted to say something about Mr. Gordon but decided not to. She wanted to wait until after she met with him before she told Tracy anything about it.
They ate dinner and November cleaned the kitchen while Tracy gave the baby a bath. She showered and couldn’t wait to climb into bed with Tracy. She wanted him to give her a dose of his magic stick before they went to sleep. They made lo
ve, and she collapsed onto his chest. She smiled as she slid off him and lay next to him, trying to catch her breath.
She and Tracy were closer than they had ever been. She had gone from who she thought at one point in her life to be an ordinary, unlucky woman who God was punishing for some reason to a woman who had a loving husband, a healthy baby, and a beautiful home. How could a woman in her situation have anything to complain about? She was now more than content with her life, but she still longed for one thing.
She had everything she ever wanted but her own business. Why did her husband want her to settle for a part-time position working for a company that didn’t allow her to reach her full potential? They held her back and didn’t use her ideas or creative talent the way she felt they should. She was disgusted with working so hard for a slogan or a pitch, and they looked over her and went with someone else’s idea.
She prayed and asked God for direction, and she closed her eyes. Then it came to her. If everything was legit with Mr. Gordon and she went into business with him for a couple of years, Tracy could see her abilities and would support her stepping out on her own. She could go in and have more responsibilities and show not only Mr. Gordon that she was brilliant, but prove to her husband that she had what it took to run a successful agency.
She was excited and couldn’t wait to meet with Mr. Gordon to hear his plans for his new business and see if it was something she could actually be a part of. She not only hoped it was a good business opportunity, but she also hoped Tracy would be willing to support her on it. She said another silent prayer and asked God to pave the way for her and to allow her to be successful with her possible new prospect.
Chapter Nineteen
The next day, November met Kendell at his condo to pick up the proposal. She was kind of uncomfortable with the idea of meeting him there, but she went anyway. She got there at exactly twelve thirty, but he was still moving around doing other things.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked, pouring himself a glass of iced tea.
“No, I have to be going. I have to meet my husband soon,” she said, lying. She just didn’t want to be at his place alone too long. It was not a good scene for a married woman to be at a man’s condo in the middle of the day. Especially a man as fine as Kendell was. He was maybe five eleven and caramel complexioned with pair of hazel eyes that looked like honeycombs. He had a low-cut fade and a full beard and mustache that lay low and neat on his baby-smooth skin. He had on a pair of jeans and a nice button-down shirt, but that didn’t camouflage his chiseled physique, and he was wearing a fragrance that November was familiar with, but she couldn’t put her finger on the name.
He sat close to her at the center island to go over the papers, and the scent of his cologne drove her crazy. He smelled so damn good. She tried to avoid looking at him and making any eye contact because she didn’t want to give him any ideas that she was interested in anything other than business. She wondered if he always dressed to impress and smelled good or if he had done it for her. He knew she was married and she thought she had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in any extra attention from him, but with the way he was looking that afternoon, she wasn’t sure he got it.
“I understand,” she said, closing the folder. She stood to make her exit, but he struck up a new conversation.
“So, have you been to the mall lately?” he asked.
What? “No, not since yesterday.” She gave him a weak smile. She just wanted to get out of there.
“Oh, I was just wondering. Do you shop at the mall all the time?”
“Yep, pretty much,” she said, moving closer to the door. “Listen, Kendell, I really have to be going. Tracy, my husband, is expecting me soon.”
“Okay,” he said and walked her to the door. “Make sure you get back to me soon, okay? I’m anxious to know if we are going to be working together.” He seemed professional in a way, but November felt that he was capable of doing some damage if she allowed him.
“I will let you know as soon as my husband and I make our decision.”
“Well, I’m sure it will be fine. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
“Okay, take care,” she said and walked out. She got to the elevator and was glad to be out of his space.
Now she had to figure out how she was going to present it to Tracy. She knew Kendell had a brilliant business plan and she knew it was a great opportunity, but would Tracy see it that way? She knew the main issue she would have to deal with was her working with a man. They had made huge progress, and Tracy was not tripping out on her. She had been enjoying her marriage and was afraid that this would send them back to square one.
She rode to April’s thinking of every possible way to approach Tracy, but she came up with nothing. She thought about asking Kendell over to talk to him, but that wouldn’t be a good idea either. She didn’t want her husband to end up in jail because he made a big deal about her innocently inviting a man over. She shook her head and decided to stop thinking about ways to approach Tracy with the idea of her quitting her job to go out on her own. She was just going to cook a nice meal, put the baby to bed, and present him with Kendell’s business plans. He could say either yes or no. Either way, she was leaving Douglas & Knight.
She was going to have to figure out a way to get around Tracy and make her dreams happen. He had his businesses and did what he wanted to do when it came to investments and starting a new business. Why did he want to hold her back and just make her a housewife? He knew in the beginning, when they first started dating, that she wanted to eventually open her very own agency.
When she got home, she went ahead and fed the baby and got him a bath and put him to bed. She cooked Tracy’s favorite meal, set the table with the good china, and pulled out the candles. She put on a nice satin and lace teddy set, put on some soft music, poured some wine, and waited for Tracy. Her hands trembled when she heard the garage door open. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer, asking God to help her.
When Tracy walked in, he smiled. “Hey, baby, what’s all this?” he asked, taking off his coat.
November walked over to him and took his coat and laid it on the bench by the door. “Nothing. I just wanted to have a romantic dinner with my man.”
“Oh, so you just wanted a little QT with yo’ man, huh?”
“Yes,” she said and kissed him. “Come on, have a seat and let me get you a drink.”
He sat at the table, and she poured him a glass of wine. She took his plate and loaded it with a rib eye, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
“And my favorite meal, too?” Tracy said, looking at his plate. “This is good.”
He got up and went to the sink and washed and dried his hands then sat back in his place. He bowed his head and said grace and then he picked up his knife. November was so nervous she didn’t say a word. She just took a few sips of her wine.
“So, Novey,” Tracy said after he swallowed his first bite of food, “baby, what’s really going on?”
“Huh?” She looked at him innocently.
“What’s up? I know it’s something. The candles are burning, the music is playing, and my son is not at the dinner table with us, so what’s up?”
“Well, you know I’ve wanted to start my own business forever, right?”
He put his fork down.
“Come on, baby, just listen to me,” she pleaded. “I know that you are not thrilled with that idea, but you know how bad I wanna leave Douglas and Knight.”
“So quit. Stay home and take care of TJ.”
“Baby, I don’t want to just stay home. I wanna work. I want to have a career too.”
“Novey, TJ isn’t even seven months old yet. You have plenty of time to go back to work.”
“Baby, I know, but you know how passionate I am. I’ve got so many ideas, and I am not growing at Douglas & Knight.”
“November, I don’t think this is a good time for you to be trying to get a business going. It takes a lot of
work, and our son is so small. He needs his mother, Novey. I work long hours as it is, baby. The both of us don’t need to be consumed by work, and I am tired of telling you that.”
“Okay, Tracy, I get it. But you act like you don’t care how I feel or what I want.”
“Novey, I do care, but now is not the time.”
“Okay then, since I’m not ready to go on my own, how about I go into a partnership with someone?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to make sure that it’s legit,” he said and took a drink.
“Well . . .” she said, getting up and going over to the counter. She picked up the folder she had gotten from Kendell earlier and handed it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“A business proposal. I met this guy yesterday, and it turns out we are in the same field. He is starting his own business, and he wants me to go into business with him.”
Tracy just looked at her. “You met some man? Where? When?” he yelled.
“Yesterday, Tracy.” She gave him a short version of the story. “I was at the mall, and I left my gloves on the counter in a store. He ran after me and gave them to me. I thanked him, he gave me a card, and I gave him one of mine. He had heard of my company, and he also had heard about my work, so he asked if I was interested in being my own boss. We talked, and he presented me with an offer.”
“Who is this cat, Novey?”
“His name is Kendell Gordon, and he is starting his own agency. He is looking for a fresh, motivated, creative agent to go into business with, so he asked me. I feel this is a good opportunity. I can work and do some of my own things, without a bunch of collars holding me back. This is a chance for me, Tracy.”
He stood up and went to turn on the light. Then he sat back down, moved his plate, and opened the folder. November sat trying to keep from biting her manicured nails, nervous as hell. Tracy didn’t say anything as he silently went over everything.
