Love, Lies & Consequences

by Frazier, Natasha D.

  It was finally Wednesday, the day of the game. Her presentations went smoothly at work that day and she made sure she spent time taking the client to lunch and answering all of his questions. She was only in town one and a half more days before returning to Houston, so she had to make sure she made a lasting impression.

  “Tammy, is everything all set for the game tonight? You know I’m a huge fan of the Boston Celtics,” Gary asked.

  “Sure thing, Gary,” Tammy said. Gary was a handsome guy. He reminded her of Blair Underwood. He was clean shaven and always neatly dressed. From what she could see, he seemed to be in great shape.

  “Great, I will send a car to pick you up. Just leave the address to your hotel with the receptionist on your way out today.” Usually, Tammy’s company provided transportation for their clients but Gary insisted that she get picked up.

  “You’re so kind, thank you. I really appreciate that. I like basketball myself, so I’m looking forward to the game as well,” Tammy said.

  “Awesome, I will see you then,” Gary said as he exited the conference room. He had a few more meetings that afternoon, so Tammy spent some time meeting with the managers in the local office.

  After her meetings, she headed back to her hotel to get changed for the game. She retouched her makeup and curled her hair. She made sure everything was in place for tonight. She couldn’t risk Joshua seeing her off her game.

  Tammy called Raegan for a pep talk. She knew she was going to hear words from Raegan, because she hadn’t told Raegan that she was going to Boston or that she was planning to see Joshua while she was there.

  She picked up the phone to dial her friend, hoping that she would answer.

  “Tammy, what’s up? How’s your trip going?” Raegan sang into the phone.

  “Raegan,” she said as soon as Raegan answered the phone. “It’s your turn to boost me up. I’m in Boston and I’m heading to a basketball game!” Tammy paused for a second because she knew Raegan was about to fuss.

  “Now hold on a minute…I think I’m missing a ton of information here. I need to know the full story before I do any boosting,” she said laughing. This sounded as if it was going to be good. Raegan had just finished the dishes and curled up in front of the fireplace with her favorite blanket. She didn’t need the television because she had a feeling she was going to get all the entertainment she needed in the next few minutes. She somehow thought that Tammy would be in New York, not Boston.

  “You’re not missing anything. I had to come to Boston for work this week. I’m entertaining a client tonight by taking him to the game.”

  “You’re not fooling me one bit. You know that I know that you have control over where and how you entertain clients. You planned this. You want to see Joshua, don’t you? It’s about time,” Raegan said, answering her own question.

  “See…you’re caught up; I need a pep talk. I’m a little on edge,” Tammy said, pacing back and forth in her hotel room.

  “If you’re already headed to a game, I don’t think you need me to boost you up. You have all the power you need girlfriend!”

  “Seriously Raegan, I need to be ready when I see him. We’re going to be sitting on the floor, so he will see us,” Tammy said, chewing her bottom lip as she continued pacing the floor.

  “Here’s an idea. Use the client as an excuse, as you’re already doing. Stay behind after the game to introduce your client to Joshua. Is the client a big fan?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, there you go. You will score big points on both sides. The client will be excited that he’s gotten a chance to meet a player and Joshua will be happy that you came to see him. No matter what you tell him, he will think that everything is for him anyway, right?”

  “Yeah, you’re right about that,” Tammy paused mid step. She was confident that her plan was solid as she considered Raegan’s conclusion.

  “Boost accomplished,” Raegan said laughing. “Just have a good time and be sure to call me afterwards. Well, I guess that will be tomorrow because I know that Josh isn’t going to let you just walk away after the introduction. You’ll probably be seeing him tonight, so call me as soon as you get a chance. I want all the deets! Just like I gave you.”

  “Of course! You may receive a text or two so hug that phone like it’s your undies,” Tammy said laughing.

  “Only you would say something like that,” Raegan said through giggles. “Have fun and call me later.”

  “All right, bye,” Tammy said, ending the call.

  CHAPTER 22

  ∞

  As Raegan sat in her office on Wednesday, typing away at her computer preparing reports, a tap on the half-opened door interrupted her.

  “Raegan, please come to my office. I’m ready to discuss your goals for the next fiscal year and review your performance,” Marie said and walked away. Marie was her immediate manager as well as a mentor. She made sure that Raegan was aware of any training opportunities or voluntary assignments that would enhance her performance on the job. She really liked Raegan and wanted to see her excel.

  “Okay, thanks,” Raegan said, as she grabbed her notepad and pen. She was so busy that she’d almost forgotten about her meeting with Marie today. On the way, Raegan peeped into Michelle’s office.

  “Hey! I’m about to have my performance review but will try to stop and chat with you for a few moments when we’re done. That is, if you’re not being superwoman in here.” She smiled at her friend and walked away, not giving her a chance to respond.

  Raegan walked down the hall to Marie’s office, slightly nervous, but excited about their discussion. She couldn’t wait to share her goals, but she was feeling a little anxious about her review. She had no idea what feedback she would get from other team members. As part of her performance evaluation, Raegan also had a peer review. She was on the fast track to senior management, so it was very important that her peers thought of her as a leader and motivator.

  Although she did a great job, she sometimes felt as if the higher-ups thought that she wasn’t doing her best. However, she worked additional hours and took on more challenging assignments to prove that she was serious about her career and upward mobility.

  When she entered Marie’s office, Marie motioned for her to close the door and take a seat in front of her desk. She rubbed her hands down the front of her green tweed blazer as if to straighten it out and sat down in the comfy leather seat, crossing her legs at the ankles.

  “Raegan, as always, you’ve been doing such a great job. Steve and Mike have both been paying attention to your work and they feel like you’re ready to take on management-related tasks. How do you feel about this? More work could possibly mean later nights at the office,” Marie informed her, as if she wanted her to think carefully about her response. She peered over her glasses waiting for Raegan’s response.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” Raegan said confidently. She would not allow a few extra hours to keep her away from her goals. She was ready to become manager. Based on her calculations, if she received her promotion this year, she could easily get a senior management position in three years.

  “I am not supposed to tell you this yet, but once your performance review is finalized and you’re evaluated on these new assignments, Steve is going to promote you to a level one manager. That means that you’re going to start leading recruiting efforts in the east region by preparing strategies and plans on what we can do to bring in the greatest talent.”

  “Wow! That is great news! Hopefully that won’t be too long from now. I’m so excited!” Raegan squealed.

  “I knew that would put a sparkle into your eyes,” Marie said. And it did. They continued to discuss Raegan’s performance, her goals and how she would transition into her newly assigned duties. The additional work was to help her become acclimated in her new position. She wished that she could share the news with Michelle, but since it was not official yet, she would have to wait. Besides, Michelle had yet to have her
performance review so Raegan didn’t want to share the news with her until Michelle received news about what was next for her.

  One and a half hours later, Raegan’s meeting with Marie was over and Raegan went back to her office. It took everything in her not to run down the hall in her four-inch Steve Madden pumps, screaming for joy. Well, if she couldn’t tell Michelle the good news, she would just share it with someone else.

  “Mommy!” she said with much enthusiasm. “How are you? What are you doing? Guess what?”

  “Hey baby! Slow down. How are you doing, sweetheart? It’s so good to hear your voice,” Raegan’s mother said.

  “Thanks Mommy. I have some great news to share with you,” Raegan said, as she took one quick spin in her leather chair.

  “Is it about a boy or work?” Her mother questioned.

  “Mom-ma!” she said whining. “It’s not always about a guy. It is about work though. I can’t say this too loud so I’m going to whisper into the phone. Pay attention please.” Her mom was caring for her dad, and being hard of hearing must have been one of his undiagnosed issues because the television volume was always on 100. “Wait, Mommy, please ask Daddy to turn the TV down. It sounds like it’s sitting right here in my office.”

  “Frank, please turn the TV down. My baby is on the phone trying to whisper something to me. I don’t know why she just won’t go outside to talk on the phone like regular people.”

  Raegan didn’t miss the slug her mother had shot at her, but she just smiled to herself and ignored it. She missed her parents and was looking forward to the next time she could get away to Florida to visit them.

  “I’m getting promoted,” Raegan whispered excitedly into the phone.

  “Whisper louder, Momma can’t hear you baby,” Her mother said, nearly screaming into the phone.

  “I’m getting a promotion,” Raegan said, whispering as loud as she could without using her speaking voice. The walls were thin and Michelle’s office was right next to hers and she always seemed to be listening to what was going on in Raegan’s office.

  “You’re getting a devotion? What do you mean you’re getting a devotion? Oh, wait, did you say promotion?” her mom screamed into the phone. “Frank, our baby is getting a promotion!”

  “That’s right, Mom! There are a couple of contingencies but I’m feeling pretty good about it.”

  “That is so good baby! Momma is so proud of you. When are you coming home again? We’ll have to celebrate you when you get here and maybe you can talk some sense into Eric. He is still playing around out there at that old college. I swear that child is going to make a career out of going to college.”

  “Mom, he is going to get it together. He just decided on a major. He says he is passionate about children learning so he is going to study education so that he can teach,” Raegan said, defending her younger brother.

  “Yeah, he’s told your father and me that but we just hope he sticks with it this time. These funds are going to dry up because we aren’t going to pay for him to go to college forever. We’re retired now so we don’t have a boatload of money to throw at him while he plays around in school chasing skirts,” Raegan’s mother ranted.

  Laughing, because she could see her mom’s facial expression clearly as she ranted on about her brother, Raegan said, “He is going to be fine, Mom. It just took him a while to find his way. I have faith in him.”

  “We’re just worried about him. We would like to see him graduate before we leave this earth.”

  “He’ll be graduating in a couple of years; you guys just need to hold on. Hold on for much longer after he graduates now.”

  “All right baby, I’m about to make lunch for your daddy. I will call you when I think you’re home from work or you can call me on your way home like you usually do.”

  “Okay, Mommy, I love you. Give Daddy a hug and kiss for me.”

  “All right baby. Enjoy the rest of your workday.”

  “Thanks Mommy.”

  Glad to have shared the news with her mom, all she could now think about was sharing it with Caleb. She wondered how he would celebrate her.

  CHAPTER 23

  ∞

  “Hello, this is Raegan.” Raegan picked up her desk phone. She was so caught up in her work that she didn’t glance at the number displayed in the caller ID window.

  “Hello, gorgeous.” Rico was on the line. She couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. Part of her wanted it to be Caleb, but that was silly because he didn’t have her work number.

  “Oh, hi! How have you been? How was the rest of the convention?” Raegan hadn’t spoken with Rico in a few days. In fact, she was avoiding him, using work as an excuse. She needed time to sort out her feelings and she couldn’t do that by spending time with him.

  “It was good; just the usual business of the fraternity. I haven’t really spoken with you much since you came to meet me and the guys at the restaurant. I needed to hear your beautiful voice and check on you. Are you good?” His deep voice echoed through the line.

  “Yes, I am. I’m sorry I haven’t been as available. Things have been very busy at work and are going to get a little busier.”

  “Sounds like you’re getting more responsibility? That could be a good thing. Is it?”

  “I think it is! I’m hoping for a promotion soon, so I have to make sure I own these extra assignments,” She said without giving any details of the recent news she received regarding her upcoming promotion. She wasn’t feeling very connected with him, so she wasn’t compelled to share it.

  “As I know you will. You’re so amazing. Now everybody knows it,” he said, flattering her.

  Smiling from ear to ear, she thanked him, exchanged a few more pleasantries and ended the call. She didn’t want to risk the chance of the conversation moving towards Caleb. She knew that Rico hadn’t quite let the situation go and she didn’t want to talk about it over the phone. Or ever.

  Just as she ended the call, Michelle knocked on the door as she entered and shut the door behind her.

  “Kensi told me that you saw Caleb at Buffalo Wild Wings with Rico. Oooh, what was that about?” Michelle sang. She was anxious to hear the juicy details. “You’ve been holding out on me. I’ve been trying to see how long it would take you to spill the beans, but obviously you weren’t going to say a thing, were you?” Michelle said, leaning against the door with folded arms, squinting her eyes at Raegan.

  “Of course I was planning to tell you about it!” Raegan said, partially relieved. When Michelle first entered the door, she assumed that she wanted to hear about Raegan’s performance review. She should have known better.

  “Really, Rae? It’s already Wednesday afternoon. How many days has it been?” Before Raegan could answer, Michelle continued. “Too many. Now tell me what’s going on. How did you feel?” Michelle asked as she got comfortable in Raegan’s office, sitting in the only guest chair, crossing her legs and sliding the chair closer to Raegan’s desk as if she was about to hear a titillating story.

  “Of course, I was pretty upset and confused when I first saw him. It didn’t even click that he would be here at the fraternity convention. Even so, what were the odds of me seeing him? This city is huge!” Raegan said, exaggerating with her arms stretched wide.

  “Umm hmm. And?” Michelle said as she waved her hand to usher her on.

  “Now don’t sit here acting like you don’t know the story. You know I know that Kensi told you. She did not just say, ‘oh, Raegan saw Caleb’ and provide no further details,” Raegan said, sitting back in her leather seat with folded arms.

  “Of course not, but it isn’t the same as hearing the story directly from you,” Michelle said, pointing at her.

  Raegan shared the weekend events with Michelle, recounting as much about her time spent with Caleb as she remembered, from the moment she saw him at the restaurant with Rico to their time together at Char. The detail Michelle wanted to know most was what really happened when they broke up, and so Raegan to
ld her Caleb’s side of the story.

  Raegan was interested in hearing what someone else thought since she has been known to be a little unreasonable. She wanted to make sure that she didn’t make any silly decisions again when it came to Caleb.

  “I’m glad that you two got a chance to talk things through. It’s been way too long. I’m surprised that you allowed it to go on this long.” Michelle had to rethink that. She wasn’t really surprised since Raegan was known for holding grudges. “Didn’t Kendrick have a thing for you anyway?” Michelle asked, reminding Raegan that she probably should have questioned Kendrick when he mentioned that Caleb was cheating on her. Especially since Kendrick was intoxicated; she should have never taken his word for it.

  “I’m going to get it together. As far as Kendrick having a thing for me, I don’t know. Caleb seems to think so. How do you know that anyway?” Pausing for a second, she said, “Oh, yeah…Kensi.”

  “So the bigger question is, where does this leave you two? Where does it leave Rico? Have you thought about that?” Michelle asked the questions that had been plaguing Raegan.

  “Well, actually, nothing has changed except that we’ve decided to work on being friends. Rico is still my beau. Nothing else has changed.” If Raegan was being honest, the truth is that everything had changed. The man that she once thought she would spend the rest of her life with, before Damian, had come back into her life.

  “If you say so. Everyone knows that you were head over heels in love with Caleb. Now that things are kosher again, you think you can just continue on with life as if nothing has changed?” Michelle asked skeptically. She and Raegan sat in silence for a moment.