The bottle hit my end table, and I pulled out a drawer.
The picture was the only one I had of us not in a tabloid or on the front of a magazine.
Thanks to my brother’s recklessness, I’d always been purposely placed in the background, just to make sure things went off without a hitch. But in this picture, we were together. We were together because both of us wanted to be, not just me. He was young then, like ten, to my sixteen, and even then he had a basketball in his hands. Situated under his arm, he stood long enough for me to get a picture of us. Our foster mom had taken it, the last one before I left him. Though I guess neither one of us knew it that day, or maybe we would have taken more together. I would have made sure we had.
On my right were the dark fingers of another person - the person responsible for why this picture had been ripped on my left side to omit them out of it. In reality, that should be a reason to destroy this photo, but it was the only one I had. It was the only picture both Tuck and I had before everything changed.
Ignoring the hand, I focused on what was important in this photo, brushing my fingers over the two of us.
Smiling, I placed it in my lap before reaching into the drawer again. My fingers found the chain, and the moonlight in the room caught the metal charm as I lifted it up.
He hated when I wore this thing, which was why it was rare when I did. But I would today. I needed it today.
I got the pendant around my neck; a shiny metal flower embedded in the work. Its weight was a reminder that things hadn’t always been so bad between my brother and I. A little boy once gave this to his sister for Christmas, and maybe one day, he would remember why he did.
D
This place looked so different with the lights on, the quote end quote average lounge area, or whatever.
I pushed my hands into my pockets, flanking the tiny little thing escorting me around in a pinstripe suit. But I guess everyone was tiny to my six foot five.
“You’ll have full access to the Onyx Room, and its sub-rooms,” she said, waving to the entrance of both.
I nodded, moving on quickly, for many reasons. The first, because I knew Griffin wouldn’t need much of a report of that area—the sub-rooms. My boy Griff, in his college days, would have been more than game for use of a secret room. But the married Griffin Chandler wasn’t having it. He told me he’d taken his friend Taylor up on his suggestion for Club Prestige for its privacy, if anything else. There’d be a few dozen celebrities coming in for Ryan’s bash and we’d need it. Being discrete was always best in the type of business we were in. The second reason, was the obvious.
The last time I’d been in the sub-rooms I was getting thrown out.
Katelyn, the girl showing me around, made sure the entire set up was to my liking. They’d themed the room with dark couches and other handsome furnishings – very masculine, suited well for a grown man’s event. Though it had been just the other night, the whole set up was very mature, and Ryan would like it fine. Katelyn also told me about security they had planned for us, and the very word had my chest dancing on the inside.
Where was Andie in all this? Would she be coming out? But as Katelyn took out her key, escorted us out of the room, and locked up, I knew she wouldn’t be.
She handed me the key.
“A master to all the rooms. Each of your guests will receive one on check in. No one else will have access besides our staff.”
I slid it into my pocket, nodding. After I did, I did something, well… kind of stupid.
“Is Andie around?” I asked, rubbing my hand over the back of my head.
I said it was stupid.
Katelyn’s eyes narrowed, which made sense. I mean, what reason would I have for bugging Andie? What reason did I have for wanting Andie?
I had no answers for any of my questions.
“Ms. Simmons?” she said, placing her hands in front of her suit, “she’s in her office. Did you need her?”
Did I need her? No, not particularly. But did I want to talk to her? Yeah, I kind of did.
“I need to pay the rest of my deposit,” I said, realizing quickly that I did. I shrugged casually.
“She’s an owner, right?”
Andie
“Ms. Simmons? Diondre Combs is here to see you. He has an event set for—”
“This weekend,” I finished more than aware of the fact, and even more than agitated.
What does he want?
Chanel’s sharp intake of breath could be heard even through my office intercom. She’d buzzed me as she was my administrative assistant.
“Of course you knew. I’m sorry,” she hurried, no doubt believing my agitation rested with her, from how she sounded. She knew I was well aware of every event at the club - if anything, for security purposes.
Though, this clearly wasn’t the case in this situation.
She breathed.
“But he is here and he’d like to speak with you. He’s brought the rest of his deposit for the event.”
My fingers played at my lips. He could have given that to any one of my assistants. I placed him with Katelyn, and she was more than sufficient. She’d worked here since we opened.
I pressed my finger to my phone’s intercom.
“Tell Mr. Combs he can leave it with you.”
Silence, and then a ping before her voice.
“He’s requested drop off with you, ma’am. He wanted to speak with an owner.”
But why?
My agitation quickly brewed into anger. I more than abided by his terms. He wanted his spot back, and he got it. He must want to play more games.
Well, I was the wrong girl to cross.
“Let him in.” My finger lifted from the speaker, and I stood, coming around my desk. But I quickly realized he wasn’t worth standing for.
Taking my seat again, I went into busying myself with schedules, and that’s what I was doing as he came him; the click of the door alerting me to his presence.
Pretending to care, I glanced up, his long back to me. He was busy closing the door, and at full height, he rose well above my door frame. He took up even more of the room when he turned around.
Brown eyes lifted to me, and I kept them, watching him come over in a Polo tee, and the slightest sag to his jeans. They hung right at his hips, the gold plated belt keeping them up.
“Hey,” he said, bringing his hands together. He had something in them, an envelope. He came forward.
“Thanks for, uh, seeing me.”
My lashes flickered toward my desk, doing more of that busying. I picked up an agenda I’d probably read about three times.
“Of course,” I said to him, not even looking up. “Is the Onyx Room to your liking?”
He said nothing at first, then, “Yeah, more than.”
“Good,” I gave him a quick glance, remembering the envelope. “I’m told you wanted to pay your deposit.”
He blinked like he forgot the reason he came in. With one stretch of his arm, he crossed the width of my desk despite the fact he was still standing a couple of feet in front of it.
“Yes,” he said, handing the envelope over, “and thank you - for giving me the spot back.”
Like I had a choice. But I took the envelope, hoping to end this encounter soon. Though he gave me the envelope and stepped back, he didn’t leave. He simply brought his hands together, moving long fingers in and out of each other, and that did nothing but annoy me more.
And then he spoke, and made it worse.
“Andie—”
“Mr. Combs needs an escort,” I said, my finger on my intercom, “he’s paid his deposit and I’d like to make sure he gets to where he needs to go, okay?”
He blinked, but I did nothing.
“Of course, Ms. Simmons,” Chanel responded, chipper like her usual demeanor. “I’ll have Mason come up to escort him immediately.”
“Excellent.” I pulled back, staring up at my unwanted guest. I gestured toward the door. “You can wait for Mason outside my office.
He’ll make sure you don’t get lost on your way out.”
I wasn’t backing down on this. I didn’t want him here, but apparently he wasn’t backing down either.
He folded large arms over his chest, his eyes narrowed, maybe even hardened. After a beat, he sighed though, dropping his arms to his sides. “I just wanted to apologize.”
“And see, here I thought you already did that,” I said, laughing a little. I folded my fingers across my stomach. “Remember? At the party last night? Or maybe you’re apologizing for using my brother to get to me, and allow you back in my club? I’m confused, so I’m gonna need you to fill me in.”
He pushed a large hand over his close cut hair after I said that, his gold watch reflecting off the fluorescents in my office.
He huffed. “That was fucked up of me. I know, and I don’t normally do shit like that.”
I nodded, my lips turned down. “So fucking two girls at the same time in a public place is something you do? I’m sorry. I just want to be clear on who exactly you are before I have my guy get you out of my office.”
His eyes averted that time, his arms coming down to his sides, and I think I got my answer. The thing is, I don’t think I needed to ask the question. That’s how guys like him are. Give a guy a little power and they used it over others. It didn’t matter if they were a celebrity or not.
That’s something I knew all too well.
He pushed his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. What happened downstairs was a mistake and I really meant that last night. It was shitty and it shouldn’t have happened.”
“You’re right,” I told him, standing. “It shouldn’t have, but it did, and because of you, I had to fire someone. Though, I’m sure that means nothing to you. Someone in your position doesn’t have much need for an hourly paycheck.”
A cold look casted my way, and it had been so quick that it threw me a little.
He went stiff. “I didn’t always have money.”
But he did now, and really, that’s all that mattered.
I gestured to the door. “You know the way.”
I half expected him to fight me more. He had since he violated my space, but he did turn around, and once he did, I could finally breathe.
Gathering my papers up, I actually did start on my work, but then I heard his voice again.
“Do you like flowers, Andie?” he asked, and my gaze shot up. He was still at the door, his hand on the knob with his back to me, and my hand lifted too.
It touched my necklace, the silver one my brother had given me so long ago. It had a flower on it, a metal one with a small stone in the middle.
Had he seen it?
He didn’t wait for my response, simply turned his head over his shoulder, and a small smile shone in the corner of his mouth.
“If so, you should get out to Marigold’s. They’re so pretty there.”
He turned the knob the same time my phone rang. My cell this time, and not my office line.
My fingers left my charm, and I picked it up.
“Andie.” My standard greeting was default to me, and it wasn’t until after I said it that I realized I never checked who called. I went to do so, but then, I didn’t need to.
“Andie? Where are you now?”
An eyebrow shifted, then two. It was my brother. It was Tuck.
“Tuck, um,” I paused, swiveling in my chair a little, “I’m at the club. At my desk rather. What’s going on?”
“At the club? Can you get here? Can you get to my house?”
Normally, calls from my brother didn’t sound this way. They were more forceful. He needed a car to pick him up. He needed security to escort him to an event. But they never sounded tense.
And never, ever sounded scared.
“What’s going on, Tuck?”
“The, uh, the cops are here, Andie. They’re in my place and they won’t leave.”
My eyebrows narrowed, and then went hard. “The cops? Why? What did you do?”
In the background, I heard voices, official ones, and I was already reaching into my desk and grabbing my purse.
“They’re asking me questions, And.”
And… He never called me that.
“They stopped by and—”
“Don’t answer any of them until I get there.” I gathered my bag, sliding it over my shoulder. “Okay? You shouldn’t be doing that anyway without a lawyer present.”
“Okay. You’re coming, though?”
He sounded like that little boy, my little brother again.
I closed my eyes. “Yes, I’m coming. Just give me a few minutes.”
After he told me he understood, and after I felt secure in the fact he did, I hung up, then buzzed the front, asking Chanel to get the valet to bring my car around. But then, I hit a road block.
“I would, Ms. Simmons,” she said with a lob in her throat.
“But, uh, you had me send it for an oil change this afternoon.”
Of all the days…
“Can you have a car come for me then?” I said, trying not to snip. We got cars for our clients all the time.
“Yes, yes, I can do that. But it will be at least forty five minutes. I just had one called for Ruby. She also had work done on her car this afternoon, and the normal company we use is pretty backed up today.”
Ruby. She was another one of our owners who actually took care of most of our legal stuff. I could use her right now.
God, Tuck what did you do…?
I pressed my hand to my brow, feeling nothing but sticky sweat as I turned in my chair.
“Can you call another charter? I really need a ride. It’s Tuck. He’s—”
“Can I help?”
My lashes flickered up, my head in my hands. Diondre had his hand away from the knob now, his lengthy fingers pushing against his palm.
What is he still doing here?
“I can, Ms. Simmons,” pinged Chanel’s voice into the room, “but it will take me a few minutes to track something down—”
I lost her at some point. I think it was that dark gaze ahead, the one that fastened to me in the strongest way. His sneakers brought him closer to me, his hand pushing into his jean pocket.
“Andie? Do you need help? A ride somewhere?”
I did need help… which was the only reason I said yes.
D
I had her in my car, one creamy brown leg crossed over the other. She didn’t face me, her elbow on the window of the Ferrari I rented for my time in DC. Behind her dark shades, Andie gazed at everything but me, as we weaved through the crowded DC streets - and weave we did. There’d been urgency in her voice during her call; I felt I had to help.
I tried not to watch her, but my vision just kept navigating that way. She filled my damn car up even though I’d rented this one specifically to accommodate my size. Her presence clouded me, though it wasn’t the soft, feminine curves that kept my attention this time. Her nails brushing under her chin, had me worried. They kept brushing. Her leg kept shaking and I felt like I was witnessing a sight not many got to see. I noticed something similar the night of the party, the night with Tuck. There was a crack forming on her tough exterior, her armor falling apart in front of me with every minute it took me to drive to Tucker’s house. That’s where she told me to go.
“We’re close?” I asked, though I knew we were. The GPS kept us on track. I guess I… I just wanted to talk to her.
“Close,” she said, trying not to look at me. Her amber skin glowed in the sunlight as she lifted her head back toward the window. I watched those fingers brush the underside of her chin again. There went that crack again, and I quickly realized that crack was Tuck. He was Andie’s weakness.
He was her kryptonite.
A frenzy met us at the gate of Tucker’s house, and I’d wished I didn’t send my security on their way. They’d accompanied me to the club, driving behind my car as I went there this afternoon, but with Andie, I didn’t want them around. I didn’t kn
ow why. I just didn’t need them, or want them, for some reason. I supposed I just wanted it to be the two of us.
The frenzy was in the form of paparazzi. They stood outside an iron gate, and I guess I understood why. Behind that closure were the cops. At least three squad cars parked up a long driveway. I had to navigate strategically just to avoid the photographers. It wasn’t like I gave a crap about them, but there was clearly a scandal going on here today, and I had my fair share of them in my career already.
“I’m having them buzz us in,” Andie mentioned, though she still wasn’t looking at me. “The security. They’re going to let us in.”
She had her phone in her hand, speaking lightly to someone.
Calm, her leg dropped, then crossed the other way. If I didn’t know any better, all this, the cops, the cameras, did nothing to faze her. But it was those fingers, those nails that gave her away. They brushed a ruby lip this time, after she’d put her phone away.
I drove faster, gunning it the minute the gates opened. We got the usual fanfare, the paparazzi redirecting their attention. A yellow Ferrari probably indicated someone important to them, and the tint to the windows would only argue that point more. The darkened windows kept them from invading our privacy, and I took us up the driveway to Tuck’s house.
And boy did this motherfucker have a house. It was three stories—a colossus of unnecessary prestige. He probably didn’t visit half of it, but, like most in the business I was in, felt they needed it. I supposed I used to feel that way, too.
I just had a mama that checked my ass.
My digs were simple in Chi-Town, and that suited me okay. I had enough, and I had a place for my mom and sisters not far from me. We had enough.
I was barely in park before Andie left my ride, slamming the door and rushing toward the entryway tucked in the back behind the house. And she did rush, her heels clacking against the ground.
I hustled with her, and ended up beating her to the door. Well, I did play basketball for a living. We met resistance at the door - an officer who liked to throw his weight around, but all Andie had to do was introduce herself, and her purpose, and he let us by.
Enthrall: A Found by You Novella Page 4
