“Whatever,” Lyric replied under her breath.
She watched as everyone filed out of the board room one by one. Once the door closed behind the last person, Javier walked over to where she was seated. He picked Lyric up from her chair as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“You look so damn sexy,” Javier said, right before he crashed his lips into hers.
His big hands slid up Lyric’s thighs and under her skirt until he was palming her ass. His kisses were hungry like he hadn’t seen her in a while, even though he stayed the night at her house. She and Javier had been together for eight months now and nobody had a clue. As much as Lyric loved and trusted her mother, Melody didn’t even know about it. Melody didn’t mean any harm, but she talked too much sometimes. She also talked to too many people and that included her sisters. Past experiences taught her a lot and Lyric was done putting her life on display.
Javier knew all about her past relationship with Spencer, only because nosey people in the office told him. He and Lyric clashed when he first got there because he use to try to order her around. He was under the assumption that she was Mr. Malone’s secretary, and Lyric had to let him know just how fucked up he had her. Mr. Malone had a secretary and it wasn’t her.
After a few months of being there, Javier started begging her for a date, but she always declined. It took a while, but Lyric decided to throw caution to the wind and give him a chance. She was happy that she did and so was he. Lyric didn’t want to put too much into what they had, so she still saw other men from time to time. She had been disappointed enough and she wasn’t waiting around for it to happen again. So far, Javier had been a dream come true. He spoiled Lyric with expensive gifts, including the truck that she’d just drove up in. She kept waiting for him to mess up, but he had done everything right since day one. Lyric loved the little games that they played in front of the other employees. No one would have suspected that they were messing around. The entire office just assumed that they hated each other and that made it even better.
“Why didn’t you wake me up before you left?” Lyric asked once they pulled away from each other. She used her thumb to wipe her gloss from his lips, as he sat her on the large conference table and stood in between her legs.
“You were sleeping so peacefully and I didn’t want to disturb you. Besides, I know I kind of wore you out last night,” Javier smirked.
“Yeah and that’s why my ass was late this morning,” Lyric replied.
“I’m sorry baby, but you know you’re my comfort zone. I look forward to seeing you every night. These court cases have been stressing me out something serious. My weekends haven’t been free in two months.”
“No one knows that better than me. At least I have Paisley to keep me company sometimes,” Lyric pouted.
“I hope she’s the only one keeping you company,” Javier said as he looked at her seriously.
He couldn’t remember a time that he was ever feeling a woman as much as he was feeling Lyric. She was the youngest woman that he’d ever been with. Javier dated older women because he needed someone who was mature and stable. Most girls Lyric’s age didn’t have much going for themselves, but she was the exception. Lyric had a degree and a good paying job. She was already a home owner and she had her shit together. Although Javier loved to spend money on her, she didn’t need anything from him. Not to mention, she was beautiful with a figure that she kept tight by visiting the gym a few times a week. She looked like a younger version of Nia Long with naturally curly hair that she sometime wore straight. She had her own style and he could just see himself putting a ring on her finger if things kept going the way they were. He knew that she dated other people, but he was trying his best to put a stop to it. Javier didn’t like to lose in court or in his personal life. Lyric was his and losing her to another man just wasn’t happening.
“What about lunch? Are you free?” Lyric asked while ignoring his previous comment.
Javier knew that she saw other people because she never tried to hide it from him. He claimed that he wasn’t dealing with anyone else, but she didn’t put anything past him.
“I’m sorry baby, but my entire day is booked. I don’t even have time to take a lunch. I have to be in court in a few hours, but I’ll be back by you tonight. Either that or you can come by me,” Javier replied.
“It’s cool. I’ll probably go grab something to eat with Nova,” Lyric said as he stood to her feet and fixed her skirt.
“I know that we haven’t been spending a lot of time together, but I promise to make it up to you. This case is almost over and I can’t wait. I want us to go on a weekend getaway and relax. Maybe we can go back to the resort that we went to before,” Javier said as he lovingly stroked her face.
He’d never verbally expressed it, but he was in love with Lyric. She was his ideal woman and he didn’t want to let her get away. Lyric looked good on his arm, even though nobody knew that they were together. He respected her wishes and he understood her reasoning. Workplace relationships were complicated and they sometimes got messy. Javier prided himself on being professional, so his privacy was very important to him as well.
“It’s okay Javier. We both know how important this case is to you and the entire firm,” Lyric replied.
“Here, go somewhere nice for lunch and treat Nova too,” Javier said as he handed Lyric some money.
“Thanks boo.” Lyric smiled.
“Keep your phone close by. I’ll text you whenever I get a minute to breathe,” Javier said as he grabbed her face and kissed her.
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later,” Lyric replied.
She felt his eyes on her as she gathered her items and exited the board room. Lyric put an extra twist to her hips as she walked away, just because she knew that he was watching. Javier was the talk of the office and it had been that way since he first started. His dark chocolate skin looked like it was poured over the perfect body. He had a low cut with a beautiful smile and deep dimples. He put her in the mind of Tyson Beckford with and without his clothes on. Javier’s masculine scent was intoxicating and often took her breath away. Lyric was deep in thought as she went back to her office until she was interrupted.
“Excuse me,” a man said as Lyric walked pass the opened elevator.
“Shit,” Lyric hissed under her breath as she held her chest and turned to face him.
The man caught her off guard since she didn’t see him standing there. When Lyric finally got a good look at him, her breath was taken away once again. He looked like a taller, more muscular version of Trey Songz and his expensive cologne made her want to drop her thongs on site.
“My fault sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he smiled, showing off a perfect smile with a set of straight, pearly white teeth, which happened to be one of her weaknesses.
“That’s okay. Can I help you with something?” Lyric asked.
“Yeah, I’m looking for the consultation room. Am I in the right area?” he asked.
“No, the consultation room is on the second floor. Come on, I’ll show you,” Lyric replied as she stepped onto the elevator with him.
She wanted to ask him what fragrance he was wearing because she needed Javier to get a few bottles for himself. A good smelling man with a nice set of teeth was a must for Lyric and her present company had them both. Lyric had never approached a man before and she wasn’t about to start. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t attracted to him though. He could be married with a house full of kids for all she knew, so she wasn’t interested in taking things any further than showing him to his destination. Besides, she really wanted to see things through with Javier. Lyric wasn’t ready for an exclusive relationship, but they were getting very close to it.
“Here you go. Just type your name in and it will appear on the screen up there. The next available attorney will see it and come down to meet with you,” Lyric said as she pointed and showed him how everything worked.
“Damn. Y’all got it hig
h tech up in here,” he replied as he looked around.
“It just eliminates the need for a receptionist to be down here all the time,” Lyric replied.
There was a security guard stationed on all four floors and they usually assisted the clients with whatever they needed. The guard that was on that floor was new and probably didn’t know much himself.
“That’s smart thinking. Maybe you can help me. Are you an attorney?” he asked while looking at her.
“No, I’m not,” Lyric replied.
“Oh well. I knew my luck couldn’t be that good. You have a good day beautiful and thanks for your help,” he said, making her blush.
“You’re welcome and you do the same,” Lyric replied as she walked away.
Just like before with Javier, Lyric felt his eyes on her the entire time as she got on the elevator and headed back to her office. She didn’t feel the need to put anything extra into her walk. She already had a full team and she didn’t have room for any new players.
Chapter 2
“Where is the real liquor? All they got in here is wine,” Zina said, making Kierra roll her eyes to the sky.
“It’s a wine tasting Zina. What else would they have?” Kierra asked in disgust.
Her birthday was the day before and they had a great time doing the scavenger hunt that she planned. They were now at a local wine tasting event and Zina had been complaining since they got there. As much as Kierra loved her cousin, she had to admit that Zina was ghetto as fuck. Blunts and Hennessey were all that she knew and she complained whenever she had to switch it up.
“We need to hit up the club after this. I need something strong in my system,” Zina replied as she walked away to the fruit and cheese table.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want her ignorant ass to come. She should be happy to get out of the hood for a while.” Kierra frowned.
“Leave her alone. This is a new experience for her,” Lyric laughed.
“I know, but she should be happy to be doing something different. It’s good to experience new things. That heifer is twenty-seven years old with a husband and two kids. She should want to do better,” Kierra replied, right as Zina walked back over to them.
Kierra had invited a few of her cousins from both sides of her family, as well as a few of her friends. Everybody seemed to be having a good time and nobody else had any complaints.
“I think I want to get a bottle of this one to take home. I like the taste,” Lyric said as she held up the glass of wine that she was sipping on.
“Girl, that shit is too high. The cheapest bottle of wine in here is over a hundred dollars,” Zina replied.
“I don’t mind. You get what you pay for.” Lyric shrugged.
“I forgot that you’re a part of the rich and famous. I’m surprised your fine ass ain’t snatch you up one of them lawyers by now,” Zina said, joking with Lyric.
“No girl. I’m good on relationships for a while,” Lyric replied.
“I can’t believe that none of them never tried to get with you. I know a lot of niggas that would be happy to call you their girl. I’m surprised that you don’t have a man,” Zina said.
“We’ll never know if she did with her secretive ass,” Kierra laughed.
Kierra was never one to tell any of her cousin’s business to the other one and she wanted it to stay that way. Both women had confided in her multiple times and all their secrets were going with her to the grave. Zina and Lyric didn’t know each other that well and had only been around each other a handful of times. If they talked around each other, that was cool, but Kierra would never betray either one of them. She was closer with Lyric, but Zina was still her girl too.
“I don’t blame you, boo. Start putting hoes in your business and they’ll end up riding your nigga’s dick in your bed. Trust me, I know,” Zina spoke up.
“Stop lying Zina. Deuce ain’t never cheat on you!” Kierra yelled, speaking of her cousin’s husband of six years.
“Did I say that it was Deuce? I’ve had more men than just him. And stop trying to put that nigga on a pedestal. I don’t put nothing past nobody,” Zina pointed out.
She and her husband had been together for seven years and had been married for six. Zina had a son and a daughter from previous relationships, but her husband didn’t have any. Her children were now eight and nine years old and Deuce was the only father that they knew. Both their biological fathers had been killed when they were babies, so they didn’t even remember them.
“You don’t have to tell me. I’ve had my share of no good niggas and friends too,” Lyric said, pulling Zina away from her thoughts.
“What’s up after this Kierra? Are we going clubbing or what?” Zina asked her.
Kierra wanted to go off on her, but she couldn’t say what she wanted to say in front of Lyric. Zina just didn’t care and that was her whole problem. She and her husband had been into it a lot lately about her clubbing so much, but she didn’t see the problem. Deuce had been begging her for a baby for two years now, but Zina was still on that bullshit.
“Do you have anything to do after this Lyric?” Kierra asked while looking over at her.
“No, I’m cool with whatever you want to do,” Lyric replied.
“Alright Lyric, bitch. Them niggas gon’ be on you in the club. I hope you’re not scared because this is probably not the kind of club that you’re used to,” Zina chuckled.
“Are we going to Ace’s?” Kierra asked.
“Where else are we gonna go and get showed mad love?” Zina replied, making her cousin shake her head.
They spent about another hour at the event before they left and went to the club. Nova agreed to go with them and Lyric was happy to have some additional company. She wasn’t big on the club scene, but she would go if she was invited. She and Javier went to a few jazz clubs, but it was nothing like Ace’s. Lyric had never been there before, but she’d heard a lot about it.
When they got there, the place was much nicer than Lyric expected it to be. She was looking for a hole in the wall, but Ace’s was nothing like that. The place was nicely decorated and it was huge. She felt like a celebrity when she walked through the door, with all the love that people were showing Zina. She was like a hood legend and everybody knew who she was.
“What y’all sippin’ on tonight Zina?” the bartender asked as he kept his eyes trained on Lyric.
“Hennessey for me, but I don’t know what my girls want,” Zina replied with a smirk as she caught him staring.
“What about you beautiful?” he asked while smiling at Lyric.
“Can you make me a rum punch?” Lyric asked.
“I can make you whatever you want,” he replied while licking his lips seductively.
“I told you bitch,” Zina said as she laughed loudly.
Lyric swayed to the beat as she and Zina waited for their drinks. Kierra and Nova declined to get anything, but they stood there and waited with them. Once they had their drinks in their hands, the three of them followed Zina to an area in the back of the club where they sat down and enjoyed the music.
“Girl, you know everybody,” Nova said once they were seated. Everybody they passed by spoke to Zina or gave her a hug.
“This is my husband’s club. Somebody else runs it because he hates dealing with it,” Zina replied.
Ace’s Place was a very popular spot and so was her father-in-law, Ace, before he was killed. Deuce decided to keep the club in memory of his late father, but he really didn’t want no parts of the day to day activity. He kept the same people in place that his father had and things ran just the same. He cleared a nice profit every month, not that he needed it.
“Oh okay, now it all makes sense,” Nova replied with a head nod.
“It used to be for his father until he got killed a few years ago. His name was Ace and my husband’s name is Deuce,” Zina explained.
Lyric and Nova had never met her husband and that was the most they’d ever heard Zina talk about him. Zina li
ved her life like a single woman and it didn’t seem like she had a husband or kids at home.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Lyric asked.
“Go straight ahead and make a left at the first opening,” Zina replied as she stood up and pointed.
Lyric and Nova both got up to go and Kierra was happy to have some alone time with her other cousin.
“Do you really think that it’s a good idea to be here Zina?” Kierra asked her.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Zina countered as she took a sip of her drink.
“Because your husband doesn’t want you here. That’s why,” Kierra pointed out.
“He’ll be okay. Hell, he met me in this same club seven years ago. He can’t expect a bitch to change overnight,” Zina said.
“Come on now Zina. It’s been years and you’ve been doing the same thing. You’re always calling me crying when you think he’s going to leave you, but you do that shit to yourself.”
“Girl, Deuce ain’t going nowhere. He’ll go by his grandma for a few days, but he’ll be right back once he calms down,” Zina said while waving her off dismissively.
“Everybody has a breaking point Zina. All that man asked you to do was stay home more and in the club less. He’s trying, but you won’t even meet him halfway,” Kierra noted.
“Fuck that. He’s the one who switched up on me. I’m a hood bitch and he knew that from day one. It ain’t my fault that he wants to be a square now,” Zina fumed.
“That’s fucked up that you would even say that. The man lost his father to the streets three years ago. After losing the father of both of your kids the same way, you should understand,” Kierra reasoned.
“Them bullets weren’t meant for Ace and Deuce knows that. He was well respected and loved in the hood. He got caught up in the crossfire and lost his life behind somebody’s else’s beef. Deuce just used that as an excuse to get out of the game,” Zina argued.
She didn’t expect Kierra to understand because they were raised completely opposite. Their fathers were brothers, but Kierra’s father was a square. He worked and lived a normal, boring life with her mother and he was good with that. Zina’s father had been a dope boy for as long as she could remember, up until the day that he was handed a forty year prison sentence for manslaughter four years ago. She saw how he had her mother living and that was the life that she always wanted for herself. Zina and her siblings always had the best of everything and she couldn’t settle for anything less. She belonged on the arm of a dope boy and she always had been. It didn’t matter that both her children’s fathers had been gunned down before their first birthday. That was all a part of the game and she understood that.
Heartbreak And Past Mistakes Page 3
