“Nice place,” I said.
“Thanks. Faith has an eye for decorating. If it were up to me, I’d have picnic furniture in here,” he said and chuckled. “Come on, let me show you my office.”
I followed him down the hallway, passing the spacious kitchen to see Faith looking at an iPad on the counter as she seasoned a steak. Different pictures of them lined the walls of the hallway, two tall floor plants sitting at the end of the hallway. He pushed open the second door on the left and motioned for me to come inside, turning on the light.
“This is nice,” I said, stepping inside and looking around. Bookshelves lined the far wall, books filling the shelves. A large, cherry oak desk sat near the window, an office chair so plush that I’d probably fall asleep in it if I had that kind of chair at work. His certifications and degree hung in polished frames on the wall along with pictures of him and Faith. I scanned some of the books on the bookshelf before looking at him with a smirk. “How many books can you have on construction?”
“Never too many,” he said with a grin. “What can I say? I like to be on top of my game.”
I nodded and continued browsing, pausing when I saw what looked like a photo album that was labeled Clients and Completed Projects. I pointed to it.
“Mind if I look at this?” I asked. He’d crossed over to his desk and was shuffling through the papers that sat on top of it. He looked up at what I was talking about and shook his head.
“Nah, go ahead,” he said. I pulled the album off the shelf and walked over to the chaise lounge near the door. I sat and flipped through the pages, seeing many pictures of his clients and the completed offices, homes, and businesses that his company built. I hadn’t known him long, but an overwhelming sense of pride filled me to know this man was my sponsor. Despite fighting with the same addiction I was, he still managed to build a successful company and settled down with a woman who seemed perfect for him. Although I had a little anxiety about leaving my father’s company behind after working there for my whole career, I was confident in my ability and knew that everything would be fine.
“This is an impressive portfolio, man,” I said as I continued to go through it.
“Thanks. Sometimes when I’ve had a hard day or feel triggered by something, I always come in here and look at that album. It reminds me that all my hard work isn’t in vain. Despite whatever is going on in my life, I’m more than my addiction and better than it.”
I nodded, the words resonating within me. “Wise words, man,” I said, pausing mid flip when a photo caught my eye. I held the album closer to my face to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. In the picture, Samson stood next to a couple in front of a large, beautiful house. I recognized the man that stood next to him; he was my newest client, Joseph Wilde. I swallowed hard as my eyes fell on the beautiful smiling woman that Mr. Wilde had his arm around. I read the sticker underneath their picture.
Joseph and Tiana Wilde. July 2013
The woman looked damn near identical to Aaliyah, but when I’d introduced her to Samson, he said her name hadn’t sounded familiar. I glanced up to see Samson still shuffling through papers. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I snapped a picture of the photo and made a mental note to ask Aaliyah about it later on.
“This guy is actually my client,” I finally said about the photo.
“Which one?” he asked, stuffing the papers in a folder.
“Joseph Wilde,” I said, my eyes still on the woman in the photo. Though she was smiling, her eyes weren’t. On closer inspection, even her smile seemed strained, as if it was taking everything in her to keep it together for the picture. Samson came over and sat next to me, looking at the photo.
“Oh yeah, I remember him unfortunately,” he said with a shake of his head. “He was difficult to work with. And he’s your client?”
“Yeah.”
“Poor woman must’ve asked for a divorce.”
“Did it seem bad between them?”
Samson scoffed. “It was bad. All he did was talk down on her the entire process. When I work with couples, I like to get them both involved so that they both have their personal touches in a house that they’ll grow into. Anytime I’d ask her opinion of something, he’d tell her unless she was putting money into it, she should keep her mouth shut.” My jaw tightened. If this was Aaliyah in this picture, hearing how Joseph talked to her was enough to make me want to crack his jaw the next time I saw him. But…Aaliyah didn’t say anything about being in a relationship, let alone being married to someone.
“She just really looks like Aaliyah,” I said, mostly to myself.
“Yeah, your friend looks so much like her it’s scary. But I know for a fact that Joseph’s wife is named Tiana,” Samson said, clapping me on the shoulder. I nodded, but my gut told me otherwise.
“Babe! Dinner’s ready!” Faith called from the kitchen.
“Be there in a sec!” he responded before looking to me. “We better get to the kitchen. She gets mad if we take too long and the food gets cold.”
I put the photo album back on the bookshelf and followed Samson out of the office. As we made our way to the kitchen, I retrieved my phone and opened Aaliyah’s text thread. Attaching the picture, I sent her a quick text.
Mason: Having dinner with my sponsor and his fiancée tonight. Saw this picture and this woman looks so much like you that it’s scary. Do you know this guy?
I swallowed hard as I thought of the different possibilities that her answer could be. My heart didn’t want to believe that this was her in the picture, but it was too much of a resemblance to think that she just had a doppelgänger in the same city. I finally hit send and forced myself to stop thinking about it, instead focusing on the delicious dinner Faith was placing on the table.
“Everything looks good, Faith,” I said as I took a seat, rubbing my hands together. She poured everyone a half glass of Roscato.
“Thank you. I’m excited to see how everything tastes,” she said, excitement filling her features as she and Samson sat down across from me. After scooping mashed potatoes and a little asparagus onto my plate, I looked at the steaming steak before me, my mouth watering at the sight of it.
“Baby, don’t stare at the man. You’re going to scare him from eating,” Samson suddenly said. I looked up to see Faith blushing.
“Sorry. I’m just anxious to see if he likes it,” she said, looking to me. “I don’t mean to be weird.”
I smiled. “You’re not. I’m actually anxious to taste it,” I said, grabbing my silverware. I cut into the steak, the steak so tender the knife went through as if I were cutting through butter. The butter she’d put on top rolled off the side, the aroma of garlic and thyme tickling my nose. Faith bit her lip anxiously as I took the piece in my mouth.
“Whoa,” I said, still chewing.
“It’s the honey butter,” Faith said, disappointment lacing her voice. “We only had honey butter left and that probably has no business on a steak and—”
I held up a finger and continued chewing, unable to conjure up the words that would help me explain how fucking amazing this steak was. The sea salt, heat from the crushed black pepper, and sweetness from the honey butter was like an orgasmic mix that made my tastebuds come to life. The steak itself melted in my mouth, cooked and seasoned to perfection.
“Excuse my language, but holy fucking shit,” I finally said when I finished chewing and looked to Samson. “I don’t know, man. If your woman is cooking steaks like this, I might have to kidnap her.”
Faith giggled and waved me off. “You don’t have to kidnap me for steaks. You’re always welcome over here.”
“This is the best damn steak I’ve had in a while.” I took another piece into my mouth with a sigh, closing my eyes. “I’m going to be devastated when this steak is gone.”
“Oh Mason,” she said. Samson took a bite of his steak and groaned.
“He’s not exaggerating, baby. This is an amazing steak. You did an amazing job,” he exclaimed, leani
ng over to kiss her.
“Thank you, honey,” she said, turning to her own food. We talked the rest of dinner. I learned that Faith did interior decorating and she and Samson met when they were working on a project together.
“You guys seem like one of those couples that belong on an HGTV show,” I joked. “You know the ones where the guy is in construction and the wife is the interior designer?”
Faith looked at Samson and smiled. “See? I told you that could work,” she said before turning back to me. “After we’re married I thought it would be cool to actually combine our businesses and offer that kind of thing. But he keeps avoiding the conversation.”
Samson shifted uncomfortably next to her and stabbed at a few pieces of asparagus on his plate. “Babe, not now, all right?”
“Okay, okay.” Faith lifted her hands. “But I agree with you, Mason. Hopefully I can get him on board one day.”
Noticing how tense Samson appeared next to her, I cleared my throat. “So um, did you guys build this house?”
Samson’s shoulders relaxed as he nodded. “Yeah. This whole cul-de-sac was undeveloped. We bought the land and she designed what she wanted the house to look like and my team and I built it.”
“He presented it to me on our anniversary and then proposed to me right in front of it,” Faith added, a dreamy look on her face as she looked at Samson. I smiled at them. I had to admit they were a cute couple. Seeing them together made me evaluate my own life. Working as a divorce lawyer, I always saw couples at their worst, fighting with each other over property, money, or children before going their separate ways. Seeing families torn apart didn’t make settling down appealing, especially when I could have who I wanted when I wanted them. But seeing Samson and Faith together and having Aaliyah back in my life, that spark of wanting more with her was lit again. I could see us double dating with Samson and Faith, settling down in a beautiful house as husband and wife, and having children. I almost had to laugh at myself. This way of thinking was a complete 360 from what I thought about relationships not too long ago.
“Are you seeing anyone, Mason?” Faith suddenly asked.
“I reconnected with someone I dated in high school. Kind of taking things a day at a time,” I said, noticing Samson’s eyebrows raising at my statement.
“How sweet. They always say that if you’re meant to be, you’ll find a way to get back together,” she said.
“Right.” I took a spoonful of potatoes and met Samson’s curious gaze. “I actually met with her not too long before I came here. She’d wanted to talk.”
“So you’re dating now?”
“Nah. Just taking things a day at a time as friends at the moment and see where it goes from there.” When his expression didn’t change, I held my hands up. “We’re not doing anything right now. Seriously, we’re just friends right now.”
“Okay then. Just be careful, man.”
After I finished my delicious meal and chatted with a bit longer, I thanked Faith for dinner, promising her that I’d come back and try more food as she learned more things. Samson was quiet as he walked me to my car, the only noise between was the rustling leaves in the trees and crickets.
“Thanks again for inviting me. You have a good woman,” I finally said when I reached the driver’s door of my car.
“Yeah, she’s a good woman. I got lucky to have her as my partner.” He put his hands in his pocket. “Are you sure about Aaliyah?”
I leaned against my car. “All we’re doing is taking things a day at a time. She admitted that she didn’t know what she wanted, so she just wanted to start over and see what happens.”
“Well at least she was honest about that. That’s the main thing I’m worried about. Getting your emotions caught up with someone who is confused is dangerous for our addiction.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. But I’m going into this with no expectations. Whatever happens, happens.”
He sighed. “I’m sure you know her better than I do and know what’s best for you. As always, you know I’m only a phone call away.”
I gave him a small smile. “Thanks, man. You know I’m grateful to have you as a sponsor. You make it seem easy to beat this.”
“It’s not easy, but having someone who can relate to you makes a world of a difference. I’ll let you get going since it’s getting late. See you at the meeting tomorrow evening?”
Shit. I’d completely forgotten about it.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I said, giving him as a parting wave as I got into my car. I took my phone out of my pocket, seeing that Aaliyah had responded to my text message an hour ago.
Aaliyah: Omg that’s so crazy! I should ask my mom if I have a twin or something LOL. But no, I have no idea who the guy next to her is though.
While the answer satisfied me, my gut still told me something was off. Aaliyah didn’t owe me anything, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of whether or not she’d actually lie to me.
Maybe she was right. I definitely needed to get to know her because we weren’t the teens we used to be.
And I wasn’t so sure I knew who she was anymore.
*
I sat in my car outside of the law firm the following Monday morning, a million and one emotions swirling around inside of me. After what happened over the weekend, my dad was the last person I wanted to see right now or ever at this point. Our conversation stayed in the back of my mind no matter how hard I tried to forget it. My jaw was sore from all the teeth grinding I’d done over the last few hours to calm myself and think about something other than how much of a failure I was. My father, being the proud man he was, an apology was the last thing I would be receiving today—if ever. The digital clock on my dashboard taunted me as the minutes slowly ticked by, indicating I had to go inside sooner than later.
My conversation with Samson, Aaron, and Aaliyah went through my head. As much as I loved being a lawyer, coming to work shouldn’t give me the amount of anxiety that coursed through me right now. I needed to get serious about cutting ties with my father, and I needed to do it fast.
A knock on the window almost made me jump out of my skin. I looked up at Aaron’s curious face as he watched me, my heart hammered against my ribcage as I grabbed my briefcase from the passenger seat.
“What the hell, man?” I asked when I opened the door and stepped out.
Aaron shrugged. “I waited for like fifteen minutes for you to get out of the car. I thought something might’ve been wrong.”
I shook my head. “Just trying to prepare myself to deal with my father.”
“I don’t blame you. Have you thought more about what we talked about?”
Other than the bullshit that happened with my family, my conversation with Aaron was all I’d thought of about for the remainder of the weekend. A part of me knew that I needed to break free from my father and this firm in order to find peace in my own life. But then there was the other part, the one that always bent over backwards for Dad in hopes to hear him say that he’s proud of me or to hear that I’m doing something right. That part of me felt guilty for wanting to leave my dad. It was as if I was at war with myself between doing what’s best for me and trying to remain loyal to a man who made it clear that I’d never be good enough no matter what I did. It seemed like the only thing that would make my father happy was if I disappeared altogether, and that was hard to come to terms with.
“Yeah, I have,” I finally said as we approached the door.
Aaron pulled the door open. “And?” he asked as we walked inside.
“I think we should do it.”
His eyes widened as he broke out into a smile. “For real? You’re seriously ready to do this?”
“Why not? I mean you were right. I think we both have the reputations to stand on our own and if my father has already made up his mind that I won’t get the company, there’s no need of me staying here and slaving away for nothing.”
Aaron clapped me on the shoulder. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to
hear you say that.” He exhaled. “When I was taking to the wife about it, she thought you were going to change your mind about it once you got over what happened with your dad.”
“Even if I got over it, I’m sure he won’t change his mind,” I said as we walked out down the hall to our offices. My father appeared in the doorway of his office, a smug look on his face as he looked at Aaron and me.
“Good morning, Mr. Carter,” I said as we walked past him, not bothering to make eye contact with him. Instead of going to his own office, Aaron followed me into mine.
“Good morning, Mr. Carter?” Aaron repeated once we were safely in my office. “You know he’s going to be on your ass about that today.”
I shrugged and plopped down in my chair. “Ask me if I give a fuck?” I said with a smirk. Aaron looked at me with a knowing grin before nodding at me.
“You’re already changing before my eyes,” he joked. “Well, since you’re on board, let’s meet up after work to go over some finance ideas. I have some ideas, but would rather not—”
The door swung open as if on cue, my father standing in the doorway. Aaron pursed his lips together and excused himself, leaving me alone with the last person I wanted to see.
I busied myself with unpacking my briefcase as my dad slowly crossed over the room, coming to a stop in front of my desk.
“Mr. Carter,” he said. “I’m assuming this is your way of throwing a tantrum over this weekend?”
I met his gaze with a raised brow. “Throwing a tantrum? What would that fix?”
“You tell me.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “I simply told you good morning and addressed you the same way everyone else in this firm does. I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Everyone else in the firm isn’t my family.” His tone was firm, indicating that this conversation was bound to go into dangerous territories if I didn’t choose my words carefully.
“Ah. So in the public eye, I’m your son and I’m an outcast that you wished didn’t exist otherwise,” I said with a nod. “Got it.” I folded my hands on my desk and looked him in the eyes. “Sorry about that, ‘Dad.’ I was unaware that we were still going to keep up the ‘perfect family’ image that you worked so hard to create.”
Lawfully Screwed (Lawful Affair) Page 13
