Craving Temptation

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Amina reached for the bottle of Coconut CoWash, squeezing a palmful into her hand. The cleansing conditioner was her go-to formula to detangle and nourish her hair. Massaging the rich formula through her locks was therapeutic and as she gently worked the cream against her scalp and along the thick strands she was able to relax and see things with more clarity.

  It took no time at all for Amina to dress. Her designer suit was stylish and fit her perfectly. The heels weren’t too high and her only jewelry was a simple pair of diamond studs gifted to her by her mother. Just a hint of foundation and a quick shake of her head completed the look. Right on time, Amina was out the door, heading to her first day of work.

  The law offices of Elliott and Harris, Esq., employed a team of six attorneys, an office manager, and a support staff of nine other employees who helped with the day-to-day functioning of the office. Amina was pleasantly surprised to find that Rachel and Troy had decorated office space especially for her. She couldn’t help but smile when her new secretary escorted her to a door with her name engraved on a platinum doorplate. Inside, the décor reflected her favorite colors and Troy had placed one of their wedding photos and a large bouquet of yellow roses on the desktop.

  “There’s a staff meeting in thirty minutes,” Gail, her new assistant, advised. “Ms. Harris left your first cases on your desk to review and two of our paralegals have been dedicated to help you with the transition. Would you like coffee?”

  Amina moved to the executive’s chair and took a seat. “I would really love a cup of tea with lemon and no sugar.”

  “Not a problem. They usually have a table of pastries at the morning meetings but if you want something else, I’ll gladly get it for you.”

  “I appreciate that, Gail, but the tea is more than enough.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The young woman made her exit, blowing a low sigh of relief as she closed the door.

  Amina had to smile. She understood the girl’s anxiety, her own nerves skipping like crazy. She was confident though that they’d be comfortable with each other in no time at all. Seconds later Gail knocked on the door, returning with a large mug of hot tea.

  “How long have you been with the firm?” Amina asked as she gestured for Gail to take a seat.

  “Mr. Elliott hired me two years ago. I’ve assisted two of the junior attorneys previously. Now you,” she said with a bright smile.

  “Well, I look forward to our working together. I’m sure we’ll make a great team.”

  The young woman smiled. “I’m very excited.”

  “That’s a beautiful scarf you’re wearing,” Amina said, admiring the deep burgundy wrap draped around her neck and shoulders.

  Gail smiled ever so slightly. She suddenly looked embarrassed. “It’s my hijab. I pull it down while I’m in the office.”

  “You’re Muslim?”

  She nodded. “You probably don’t remember me, but I know your family from the mosque.”

  “My goodness!” Amina gushed. “I apologize but I’ve met so many people since I moved here.”

  “My parents are Julian and Amsa Bashir.”

  Amina paused in reflection, trying to recall the familiar names. “Todd’s your brother?”

  Gail nodded again. “He is so crazy about your sister.”

  Amina tensed, fighting to keep a smile on her face. She prayed that nothing showed in her eyes. “What a small world!” she exclaimed softly. “I know Rasheeda is head-over-heels about him, too.”

  “He was so excited when she flew to see him the other week. Apparently they made a lot of plans for their future, which is why he’s so surprised about her not answering his calls. He’s been worried that something might be wrong.”

  Amina’s brow furrowed with concern. “She hasn’t been answering his calls?”

  Gail shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing but I thought if you talked to her you could slip in a good word for him? I can vouch for his character. I know I might be a little biased but he really is a good man. And he loves her to death!”

  Amina forced another smile. “I will definitely see what I can do the next time she and I talk.”

  For a brief moment Amina didn’t know what to think. Basil had taunted her about not knowing that Rasheeda had plans to marry. If she wasn’t answering Todd’s calls then how could they be making plans? And if she wasn’t preparing to marry Todd, then who? Her anxiety level was rising again and she struggled to regain some control over her emotions. She had to stay calm if she was going to be of any help to Rasheeda. She took a deep breath.

  Gail glanced to the clock on the wall. “You should head to the conference room. We don’t want you to be late on your first day.”

  Amina nodded, the two women both moving back onto their feet. As Gail reached the office door, Amina called after her.

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Why don’t you wear your hijab in the office?”

  Gail smiled. “I was reporting to attorney Spaulding and it made him uncomfortable.”

  “Did he say that?”

  “No, but I could tell and I didn’t want it to be a problem. I really need this job.”

  Amina nodded. “Well, from this point forward if you don’t wear your hijab let it be because it’s something you just don’t want to do. Do what’s right for you. If anyone here has a problem with it, point them in my direction. And I’ll deal with attorney Spaulding personally.”

  Gail’s grin widened. “Thank you!”

  “Don’t thank me. I’m just doing what’s right. If you were a Jewish man and wanted to wear your yarmulke, I would stand up for that right as well.”

  “I look forward to learning from you, Ms. Salman.”

  Amina smiled and with a quick nod she headed toward her meeting. She was surprised to find Troy in the conference room, seated in conversation with Rachel. The two greeted her warmly.

  “Everything okay?” Rachel asked. “Are you getting all settled in?”

  Amina nodded. “I am and thank you for the flowers,” she said, turning her gaze toward Troy. She would have given anything to rush into his arms to be held.

  He winked an eye at her and it made her blush.

  Rachel rolled her eyes skyward. “Don’t you two get me started,” she said.

  Amina and Troy both laughed.

  “How long are you going to be here?” Amina asked. “There’s something important I need to speak to the two of you about.”

  “I have a meeting at ten. I wasn’t planning on being here for the whole meeting, just long enough to introduce you to everyone.”

  “Well, I can fill you in later tonight.”

  “Are you sure?” Concern seeped from Troy’s eyes.

  Amina nodded. “I’m positive.”

  Before anything else could be said, the staff began to fill the space, everyone welcoming Amina warmly. The meet and greet was short and sweet with Troy making the formal introduction, then giving everyone a brief synopsis of her résumé, focusing solely on the skill set she was bringing to the table. When he was done he extended his apology for having to rush off, moved to where she was sitting, boldly kissed her lips, then extended his good-byes. Amina blushed profusely, acutely aware of the raised eyebrows that suddenly sat around the conference-room table.

  Rachel chuckled softly as she took command of the meeting. “Allow me to put everyone’s wagging tongues to rest before you all start spreading false rumors. Our esteemed partner Mr. Elliott and our new associate Ms. Salman were married recently. Amina here is the boss’s wife but that’s not why we hired her. We hired her because she’s an extraordinary attorney and I like her. Y’all know I don’t like too many people so that says a lot. But I have every confidence that attorney Salman will quickly prove herself to be a valuable asset to our organization.

  “Now, Mr. and Mrs. Elliott will officially announce their marriage at a party I’m hosting this coming Saturday at Just Desserts Bakery down on Beale Street. Everyone’s invited and in lieu of gifts please f
eel free to make donations to one of the nonprofit foundations that the happy couple supports. Or not.”

  There was a round of applause until Amina held up her hands to stall the ovations. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate everyone’s kindness and I look forward to getting to know you all.”

  “Now on to business,” Rachel said.

  For almost an hour there was a roundtable discussion as each attorney updated the status of the cases on their plates. When Rachel was satisfied she dismissed them, sending everyone off to do whatever it was they needed to do. When the door was closed behind the last person, she moved to the seat beside Amina and blew a deep breath.

  “So what’s up?”

  Amina pushed a manila folder in her direction. “My brother, Basil, has illegally acquired the titles to some significant properties in the downtown area. He and his business partner, Kareem Fayed, are now trying to manipulate me to turn Just Desserts over to them.”

  “How?”

  “Basil is threatening to harm my sister, Rasheeda, if I don’t claim the deed and file the title in my name. I think something has happened to her and I’m not sure what to do. I spoke to my father twice and he assures me that Rasheeda is fine but something doesn’t feel right and I’m worried.”

  Rachel flipped through the documents Amina had passed to her, sitting upright on the edge of the seat. “And you say he’s pulled this stunt with other properties?”

  “Yes. I haven’t had an opportunity yet to find out just how many but I’m thinking it’s significant.”

  Rachel nodded. “What do you want me to do?”

  “I need to discover how extensive this is, then I need you to go to the district attorney with whatever I find.”

  “What about your sister?”

  “I’m going to try to get to her at the town hall meeting tomorrow. One of the topics up for discussion is family values and I know my father will have her and Basil both there for show. If she’s not there then we take everything to the police as well and I’ll file a missing persons complaint.”

  “This could get very messy for your brother and anyone else who might be involved. Are you going to be able to handle the fallout?”

  “There’s nothing weak about me, Rachel. My brother is about to find out just how tough I am.”

  “Why are you bringing this here?”

  “Because there are going to be some pissed off property owners who are going to need legal representation when this comes out. I have no doubt that most of them will want to be represented by the law firm that uncovered the travesty.”

  Rachel smiled. “Earning your keep already! That’s what I’m talking about!”

  19

  Amina knew that this would be their very first fight. Despite his best efforts to contain his anger, Troy was finding it difficult not to rage. He paced from room to room, moving between the family room and the kitchen. Amina sat where her brother had sat hours earlier. Her hands were clasped together and folded in her lap. It had taken her less than ten minutes to tell Troy what had happened and fill him in on the details. It felt like it was taking him forever to get past it.

  As he moved back into the room, finally dropping onto the seat beside her, she blew a deep sigh.

  “Why didn’t you call me when it happened, Amina?”

  She cut an eye at him. “Because I didn’t want you to overreact.”

  “Overreact? Did you really just say that to me?”

  “I was afraid that you would be angry just like you are now and that you’d go looking for Basil and do something that we wouldn’t be able to fix.”

  “That’s right. I would have gone looking for your brother and given him a taste of his own medicine. I should have done it the first time he put his hands on you.”

  “No one is going to vote for a mayor who has anger management issues.”

  Troy’s jaw tightened. “When are you going to understand that you mean more to me than this election? Your safety and happiness are paramount and nothing and no one comes before you.”

  Amina dropped her hand against his thigh, caressing the flesh with a heavy palm. “Troy, I know how much you love me and I appreciate that you want to take care of me but there are going to be times that I’ll have to make decisions that protect you, too. Taking care of you is just as important to me. I’m not going to let you throw your dream away when I know we can handle this another way.”

  She felt the tension in his body begin to slowly subside but she knew he was still unhappy about the situation.

  He blew a heavy sigh. “So what next?” he finally asked.

  “I’m filing a legal complaint against my brother for the property fraud. And as soon as I find my sister and I know she’s okay, we’ll figure out the rest.”

  “And you think it’s going to be that easy?”

  “I think that it’s a start and if it keeps you from punching Basil out and destroying your mayoral chances then it’s what I’m going to do.”

  Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. He hugged her close as she melted into his side. He kissed her forehead, his lips warm and tender against her flesh. If anything happened to her, he thought, he didn’t know what he would do. What he did know was that it wouldn’t take much more for him to bust Basil Salman in his face when he next saw him.

  Basil struggled to contain his annoyance. He’d known Amina would call their father. She wasn’t half as smart as she thought she was. And she wasn’t smarter than him. He’d also known that it was only a matter of time before his father would be asking him questions he had no interest in answering. He shook his head as he endured the interrogation.

  “Really, Father?” he said as he shook his head. “Why would I hurt Rasheeda?”

  “Amina seemed quite sure of herself,” Nasser answered, eyeing his son sternly.

  “Amina has been nothing but a problem since she came to Memphis. She’s overly dramatic, emotional, and she has not been good for any of us, Father.”

  Nasser nodded. “That may be true but I do not need your sister making such irrational claims so close to the election. Where is your sister? I want to speak with her.”

  “She is with Kareem’s mother. Mrs. Fayed thought that with Amina turning her back on the family that Rasheeda would benefit from a little motherly intervention. She’s been wonderful with her and very supportive.”

  Nasser leaned back in his seat, clasping his hands together. “That is good. Rasheeda needs positive female influences. But I want to speak with her. I tried to call but she’s not answering her phone.”

  “Rasheeda had so much going on that she left without taking her cell phone with her. I found it on the counter in the kitchen. But we can call the Fayeds. Here, I’ll dial the number for you,” Basil said as he reached for his own phone.

  Nasser nodded. He stole a quick glance down to his wristwatch. “It’s actually late. We shouldn’t disturb Mr. and Mrs. Fayed. But I expect to see Rasheeda at the town hall meeting tomorrow. I expect you both to be there. I will speak with her then.”

  Basil smiled. “Of course, Father. We wouldn’t miss it.”

  Rasheeda pounded her fists against the locked door. The room she was confined had no windows and the one light bulb in the center of the ceiling was flickering on its last filament. When no one responded, she moved back to the twin-size cot against the wall and lay back down. She was angry and desperate to see anyone who wasn’t Basil or Kareem. The two had been holding her hostage since returning from Baltimore and she was starting to get scared.

  Hearing Amina’s voice earlier had been the first hint of hope that she’d had for days. But then Kareem had snatched the phone from her and that thin line of hope was dashed. Kareem was not a nice man and her brother was foolishly following behind him like a lost puppy. Basil wanted to rule the world without working for the right to do so. He wasn’t willing to pay his dues believing his wanting it was enough for him to have it.

  But Rasheeda had wants, too, a
nd she wanted desperately to go home. She couldn’t imagine that no one was looking for her, concerned about her disappearance, but she also knew the lengths Basil would go to get something he coveted. Her brother was a master manipulator and a crafty liar. She could just imagine the tall tales he’d already told about where she was. But Rasheeda trusted Amina would be able to see through him. Her big sister would help get her back home.

  Hours later she was dreaming about Todd. He looked dashing in a black tuxedo, standing in wait as she walked down an aisle toward him. He had the sweetest smile and made her laugh. He had never seen her face and she was hopeful he would find her as beautiful as she felt. Because in that moment she felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. Her sweet dream suddenly turned into a nightmare when Todd disappeared and Kareem stood leering at her. Rasheeda didn’t care about being beautiful anymore as she turned, desperate to run as far and as fast from the man as she could.

  Rasheeda was still running when Basil and Kareem stepped into the room. She had drifted off into a deep sleep when she woke with a start to find them both staring down at her. She jumped, drawing her body upright, her back pressed against the wall. She adjusted her veil across her face as Basil smiled.

  “I thought you’d be hungry,” he said softly. “Kareem and I bought you some food.” He pointed to a tray on the end table. There was a yeast roll, some type of meat and gravy, steamed broccoli and creamed potatoes on the plate. A wrapped brownie sat on the side and there was a tall glass of iced tea.

  She reached for the roll, snatching the bread into her hand as she nibbled the end of it. Basil smiled.

  “You know I love you, Rasheeda, don’t you?”