Influence

by Carl Weber

  I’d just fucked up. I’d completely forgotten about his father. My faux pas made Bradley’s and my actions even worse, and my apology worthless. Still, I couldn’t give up yet.

  “And I tried to help you and be there for you, but you kept pushing me away, and . . .” My bottom lip quivered, and tears formed in my eyes.

  James had always been the “close second” when it came to Bradley. Where Bradley was handsome, brilliant, and daring, James was attractive, smart, and likeable. They were both smart as hell, passing the Bar on the first try without studying, but Bradley always seemed smarter. It was probably his confidence, bordering on arrogance, that had convinced me he was superior in every way.

  “And he pulled you in,” James snapped, confirming my thoughts.

  I was going to have to change tactics, because this was not working. I could see the hurt that was still there. It had festered, a pain that had lingered and grown. Pain that deep could only come from one place: love.

  He looked away from me, but I took another step toward him and touched the side of his face to turn him back in my direction. To my surprise, he didn’t push my hand away. Instead, he touched it. I eased closer and touched his other cheek, then leaned my head against this chin.

  “James . . .” I whispered.

  He tilted my head up and kissed me full on the lips. Surrounded by the familiarity of the apartment he lived in, I felt warmth and nostalgia in his kiss. His taste, his scent, the fluttering in my chest—it was as if I had been away on a long and eventful vacation and had finally made it home.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist, now a little thicker than years ago. He reached up and released my hair, which came tumbling down around my shoulders. Brushing a few strands out of my face, James looked into my eyes, and without saying another word, he grabbed me and led me into his bedroom.

  James had always been a tender lover, so I expected him to carefully remove my clothes. He didn’t. He snatched them off and wasted no time removing his own, and then he ravished me with a passion that I’d never experienced. The sex was aggressive, hot, and pleasurable, and as I lay there afterward in the same bed I had laid in years before, I realized that, had I not been drawn in by Bradley, I would probably still be married to this man, who truly loved me. The same man who now had the power to save the life of my son.

  Perk

  41

  I’d just pulled into my parking space behind the Hudson offices when I spotted Desiree stepping out of her car. She didn’t seem to notice me as she placed a cup of coffee on the roof and retrieved a black blazer from the trunk, then checked her hair in the reflection from her car’s rear window. Apparently satisfied with her appearance, she picked up her coffee and headed to the back entrance of the building. As she walked past my truck, I enjoyed the sight of her curved hips in the snug skirt she wore.

  “It’s not going to work,” I said as I stepped out of the truck, slinging my knapsack over my shoulder.

  She stopped walking and turned to look at me. “What’s not going to work?”

  “That blazer. It’s not going to work.”

  “Really? Why?” She looked confused.

  “Because every woman in our office is going to notice you’re wearing the same clothes you did yesterday, and they’ll know you’re wearing the blazer to try to change things up.”

  Desiree wasn’t one to show emotion very often, but right then, her face was showing a shitload of embarrassment. “That obvious, huh?” She was so much like her mother sometimes, focused on herself or her self-serving liberal projects. It was obvious she hadn’t even realized how this current walk-of-shame situation could pertain to both of us.

  “Yep, that and the fact that I’m your roommate. I know you didn’t come home last night,” I said. Then, as much I hated the fact that I cared, I had to ask: “Are you seeing someone?”

  She coughed, nearly dropping the coffee, and I knew the answer before she gave it. I handed her a napkin, and she dabbed at the drops of liquid that had spilled on her blouse as we entered the building.

  I followed her into her office, where she finally managed to speak. “You can’t be serious right now. Why do you keep asking me that?”

  “Like I said, you didn’t come home last night, and it wasn’t the first time. So, I’m just curious,” I said.

  “I didn’t come home because I stayed at a friend’s house.” She squinted at me like she was trying to figure out my true motives.

  “What’s his name?” I tried to keep my face neutral.

  “Tuh! I’m not even gonna justify that with an answer. And you know what? I don’t have to. You’re not my man, Perk,” she said, visibly aggravated by the conversation.

  I remained as cool as the gentle breeze coming through the vent in her office. “You know what?” I said. “You’re absolutely right. I’m not your man. I may wanna be, and even try to be, but I’m not, and that’s your choice, not mine.” I turned to leave.

  “Why are you so damn dramatic, Perk?” she whined.

  “I’m not, but one of us has to put an end to this situation, and that person is me. We’re done. Our relationship from this point on is strictly professional, and there won’t be any further physical contact, because after all, I ain’t your man. I’m also moving out, so you might want to find another roommate.” I stomped out.

  “Perk!” She hollered after me, but I ignored her, stepping onto the elevator before she could catch me.

  “Yo, Perk, you got a visitor, man,” Michael said when I arrived on the fourth floor. Believe it or not, Desiree had taken the stairs and made it up there at the same time as me.

  “A’ight, I’m coming,” I told him.

  “Who’s here to see you? Is it someone about Lang?” Desiree huffed, out of breath, staring at Michael.

  “No, I don’t think this person is involved with the case.” Michael gave her a small smile and then looked at me. “She’s waiting in your office.”

  “She?” Desiree’s neck swiveled like she was an around-the-way girl from Brooklyn instead of her Upper Manhattan self.

  “Thanks,” I said to Michael, bypassing Des and walking down the hall.

  When I got to my office, I was pleasantly surprised to see Lena, the girl I’d met at Starbucks, waiting there. She looked cute as hell in a simple black blouse that revealed just enough cleavage, a pair of tight jeans that showed off her round curves, and a pair of thigh-high boots.

  “Hey, handsome.” She stood up, tossing her long braids over her shoulder and greeting me with a warm smile and a passionate kiss.

  “Wow, this is a surprise,” I said.

  “A good one, I hope.” She grinned.

  We’d communicated briefly via text a few times since the case started, but I hadn’t seen her. Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about seeing her because I’d been so busy. And, of course, I’d been sleeping with Des again.

  “Oh, it is a good surprise. Believe it or not, you’re right on time.” Noticing the brown paper shopping bag she carried, I asked, “What’s that?”

  “This is the reason for my visit.” She held the bag out to me. “I wanted to give you this.”

  “And here I thought you just wanted to see me,” I teased, placing the bag on my desk.

  “Well, of course, that too.”

  “Whatever it is, I appreciate the gift and the giver,” I said with a smile.

  “You can open the bag, Perk,” she said.

  I peeked inside the bag and then took out its contents: a round Tupperware container with a handle. “You made me a cake?”

  “No, silly. It’s not a cake.” She laughed. “It’s a pie.”

  I lifted the top from the container, and my mouth began to water. Inside was a perfect mass of the most beautiful strawberries with a red glaze, sitting on top of graham cracker crumbs and topped with fresh, homemade whipped cream. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent.

  “Oh my God,” I moaned.

  “I remember how you said your fa
vorite dessert was strawberry pie from Shoney’s. And, well, of course there aren’t any Shoney’s around here, so I decided to make you one,” she told me.

  “You made this? For me?” I asked, genuinely touched by her gesture.

  “Yeah, what’s wrong? Isn’t that what you told me? It was strawberry, right?” she asked with a worried look on her face.

  “Damn right it’s strawberry! I can’t believe you did this for me, that’s all,” I said, staring at the pie. No one had ever made a pie for me before, especially not anyone I hadn’t known very long. I was surprised Lena even remembered me telling her. I was downright impressed.

  “It’s no big deal.” She shrugged.

  “Yo, I gotta taste it. We have some plates and forks in the breakroom,” I said. “Get the door.”

  She opened the door, and we stepped out.

  As we passed by Michael’s office, he saw the Tupperware and asked, “What’s that?”

  “A pie. Lena made it.” I nudged my head toward her.

  “Homemade?” He smiled at her.

  “Yep, strawberry,” she said proudly. “Would you like a piece?”

  “Damn right!” Michael followed us to the breakroom.

  The pie tasted as good as it looked. Michael and I were enjoying it and praising Lena when I looked up and saw Desiree standing in the doorway. I was surprised she’d waited as long as she had to barge in and check out who had come to see me. I eased closer to Lena as I shoved another forkful in my mouth.

  “Hey, Des, you gotta try this,” Michael said enthusiastically.

  “I swear,” I said with my mouth full. “This is the best damn pie I’ve ever tasted. It’s better than Shoney’s.”

  “Would you like a piece? There’s plenty left,” Lena offered.

  “This pie is good as hell, Des. And it’s homemade. You should try it,” Michael said.

  “It’s just pie, Michael. Damn.” Desiree stood there, staring at all three of us like we were vagabonds off the street who had been given a free meal.

  “Des, come on in. I want you to meet Lena,” I said, loving every minute of this scene.

  “Nice to meet you . . . Des, is it?” Lena asked.

  “It’s Desiree. Hudson. As in the name on the wall, Hudson and Associates.” Desiree’s voice was cold and unwelcoming.

  To my surprise, Lena wasn’t intimidated by her demeanor. Instead, she said, “Well, Ms. Hudson, I’m sure these two gentlemen will definitely be working hard for your family’s firm this afternoon, because they are full and happy. That’s what you sometimes have to do to get a brother to put in work, you know what I mean?”

  I couldn’t believe it when Lena winked at her.

  “No, actually, I don’t. My momma didn’t cook, and neither do I,” Desiree scoffed. The way she was staring Lena down made me think there could be a fight. There was enough estrogen in the room that I worried we might be approaching a danger zone

  “Lena, let me walk you out,” I said, putting down my plate and wiping my mouth.

  “I’ll leave the rest of the pie container here until you’re finished. You can bring it by tonight. I’ll be up pretty late,” Lena said suggestively.

  As I was hurrying Lena out the door, Michael called out, “Nice to meet you, Lena. Anytime you wanna bring treats, you’re always welcome.”

  Desiree looked like she wanted to stab him in the neck with the fork he was holding. She gave me the same look, amusing me even more than I already was.

  “What’s the deal with her?” Lena asked when we exited the building.

  “She’s just stressed about her brother’s case, that’s all. Everyone around here is on edge, really, including me,” I explained.

  “Well, I hope I was able to make you feel better,” she said with a smile.

  I took a good look at her. She was a cute girl, a little younger than I normally dated, but she was nice—and her body was tight as hell, which gave her a plus. But even with all of that, I wasn’t sure if I was really feeling her.

  “You definitely did,” I told her. “I’m glad you came by, and not because of the pie, either.”

  “I would love for you to come by later . . . if you’d like. Strawberry pie ain’t the only thing I have that’s sweet and sticky for you to enjoy.” She bit her bottom lip seductively and gave me a look to let me know exactly what she was offering.

  I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply, letting my tongue explore her mouth.

  “Damn, was that a yes?” she asked when we broke the kiss.

  “That’s a we’ll see.” I gave her a smile to let her down easy.

  I called an Uber and waited with her until it pulled up to the curb. When she was gone, as I turned to go back into the building, I felt someone looking at me. I glanced up to the fourth floor window. Desiree was scowling down at me, but when we made eye contact, she disappeared from view.

  Back on the fourth floor, I headed to the breakroom to pick up what was left of the pie and bring it to my office. There were too many greedy motherfuckers at Hudson and Associates to leave something like that lying around.

  I stepped into the room to find Desiree waiting for me, looking ready to kill. “Don’t bring that bitch back here,” she snarled.

  “She wasn’t bothering anybody.” I snapped back, trying to keep my voice down. “What the fuck is your problem with her?”

  “I don’t have a problem with her, my problem is with you,” she mumbled. We were both trying to keep our voices down so the rest of the office didn’t hear us.

  “I don’t have time for this,”

  I was about to walk away when she said, “I hope you weren’t planning on finishing that pie.”

  That’s when I spotted the pie—and the Tupperware—in the garbage can. “You threw my fucking pie away?”

  “No, I just threw it. I didn’t give a shit where it landed,” she said like it was no big deal.

  “You’re crazy, you know that?”

  “No, you’re crazy if you think you’re just gonna parade some bitch in here like some bakery thot bringing you treats. This is a fucking place of business, and everyone in here should be focused on my brother, who’s facing life in prison. Instead, you got everyone around here gushing over your fucking random of the week.” Surprisingly, she was on the verge of tears. “So, yeah, I threw the fucking pie away, Perk. Her popping in the office was unprofessional.”

  I stood, shocked by her reaction. I knew she was jealous, but damn. I’d never seen her act like this.

  “Fine, I get it. Won’t happen again. From now on, I’ll invite her to my new home. But I meant what I said, Desiree. We’re done.”

  James

  42

  The first thing I noticed when my eyes fluttered open was that the sun was rising. What I thought was going to be a brief post-coital nap had turned into an all-night sleep. I glanced down at Jackie, still asleep, snuggled up next to me. I was still a bit stunned by the events of the night before. Jacqueline had been right; I had ignored the calls and messages she’d made to my office. In my mind, she’d died a long time ago, and I had nothing to say. I knew when I took on this case that eventually we’d cross paths, but having her show up on my doorstep had never crossed my mind. When I saw her through the peephole, I’d been unprepared for the conversation that would take place and the wave of emotions that came with seeing her. She was still beautiful and sexy as hell, and deep down, despite everything, I’d be lying if didn’t admit I still loved her.

  The sound of her voice speaking my name was still music to my ears, but also pierced my heart. Still, the more she talked and tried to explain, the more I realized I still wanted her. So, I kissed her, I touched her, and I took her to my bed and did something I should have done thirty years ago to keep her from walking out on me for Bradley. I fucked her—hard, fast, and more importantly, memorably. No matter what happened after today, she’d remember last night.

  “Good morning,” she whispered, draping her arm across my chest.

/>   “Morning,” I mumbled.

  We lay together silently for a few more minutes before I eased from under her and sat on the side of the bed. My mind was all over the place, and I needed to clear my head.

  “You want breakfast?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing my back.

  I glanced over my shoulder and nodded. “Sure. Breakfast would be nice. I’m gonna go and take a shower.”

  Jacqueline got up, and I couldn’t help but stare at her body as she walked over to my closet, grabbed one of my button-down shirts, and slipped it on. Even in her late fifties, her breasts were still full and perky, and it made me wonder if she’d had some work done. Her hips were a little wider, but her legs were muscled and toned, along with her arms. She had kept herself up very well, and her physique could compete with any woman in her early forties.

  “Still like your eggs over easy?” she asked as she was walking out of the bedroom.

  “I do.”

  When she was gone, I stood and went into the bathroom down the hallway.

  “Oh my God, James!” I heard her yell.

  “What? What’s wrong?” I stuck my head out of the bathroom.

  “You still have these yellow pots and pans?” She laughed. “And they look like they’re barely used.”

  “Well, I don’t really cook much.” I sighed, suddenly embarrassed that I still had the same cookware that she’d given my mother as a Christmas gift many years ago. My mother had been so happy to receive them. She liked Jacqueline a lot, and so did my father. They both made it very clear how much they looked forward to having her as a daughter-in-law. Mom also liked Bradley. She used to say he was like a second son. It had broken her heart almost as much as mine when the news about their involvement surfaced—among other things.

  As I stood in the shower, letting the hot water cascade over my bald head, I allowed the memories of that fateful spring to come running back to me. The three of us were the only black lawyers working for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The office was exceptionally busy, but the U.S. attorney’s attention was focused on the case of Fat Bruce, one of the biggest drug dealers in the city. Fat Bruce was the black version of John Gotti. He’d been arrested nine times on everything from murder to drugs and RICO charges, but each and every time, he was acquitted. Our boss thought he was finally going to put him away for good, when all of a sudden, Fat Bruce’s lawyer pulled a rabbit out of his hat and presented a legal precedent and motion to dismiss that threatened to kill the entire case. The powers that be were at a loss, and my boss was getting so many threatening calls from his boss, the Attorney General, that he started packing up his stuff because he was positive he was going to be fired at the end of the trial.