Michelle could see now that Andrea was simply a woman bent on monetary gain, and would probably sell her soul to get it.
“I guess those people you plan to roll over include me?”
“Ha, you’re a very smart woman, Michelle,” Andrea said.
Michelle’s food had arrived, but she was no longer hungry enough to sit at the table with Andrea for another second. She went in her purse and found some cash, a twenty-dollar bill.
“You know what? I don’t eat with snakes, especially when they reveal themselves as poisonous. Here’s the money for my lunch and a tip. Buy yourself some class.”
Michelle got up and walked away without either one of them saying another word.
Hungry and irritated, Michelle drove to the meeting with the president feeling more passionate than ever about landing the lead anchor job. As much as she wanted to take the high road, it was evident that Andrea never would. Now she wanted the job for one more reason, to kick the shit out of the ladder Andrea wanted to climb so badly.
When she arrived at the office, she saw a jug of purified water in the waiting area. She drank two full cups, hoping to keep her mind off food long enough to get through the interview. The receptionist alerted the president that she was there, and he quickly invited her in. Dale Lindsay was a fifty-year-old white man with blond hair and the most unbelievable tan you’ve ever seen. He always looked as if he had just come back from Florida every time Michelle had ever run into him.
“Come on in, Michelle. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you too,” she lied.
Michelle had never forgotten about the proposition Dale made, that had caused the split between her and her last boyfriend.
“Have a seat. Anything I can get you?”
Michelle glanced around at the spacious office she’d never been inside before.
“No, I’m fine, thanks,” she said, taking a seat on the opposite side of his desk.
Dale leaned back in his leather recliner wearing a smirk.
“I scheduled your interview first because I wanted to give you a golden opportunity today, Ms. Mitchell.”
“Oh really?” She said with a smile that turned into blushing.
“Oh yes. As you may have figured out by now, you’re very well liked around here. When the lead anchor position became available, I want you to know the recommendations came pouring in for you like crazy.”
“Wow! Really?” she said with excitement.
Michelle always got along with everyone, but she had no idea that her coworkers held her in such high regard. “This is a surprise, I must say.”
“Oh baloney,” he teased. “You know the camera loves you, and so do we here at Channel Six.”
“Well, I’m humbled by your words, Mr. Lindsay.”
“Dale. Just Dale. You don’t have to be that formal with me.”
“Okay, Dale.”
“Now, as you know, this job as well sought after and there’s thousands of people who’d love to be sitting where you’re sitting right now.”
“Agreed.”
“And I’ll be honest with you. This entire interview process could be nothing more than a formality if you play your cards right.”
Dale’s eyes got all squinty when he made the last statement, which made Michelle’s eyes react in the same manner.
“I’m listening,” she said with her antennas up.
“Ms. Mitchell, we’re looking for someone that’s willing to commit to being the face of the evening news for years to come. We have a lot of new segments that will debut in the next sweeps week, and we want the leads to be very involved with the process.”
Sweeps week was very important to the network. The ratings during sweeps week can make or break a show or career. The station reviews their ratings and decide what is working and what needs changes. It was the most important and most stressful time of the year for everyone involved.
“I can assure you that I am more than ready to be involved in the process. I live for being involved in the process.” She said truthfully.
Dale nodded, and nodded again.
“I believe that. I believe that with all my heart. Michelle, I’m also looking for someone who is willing to go the extra mile. Someone who wants it bad enough to take it.”
The words felt like deja vu to Michelle; she had just heard a similar statement less than an hour ago. She didn’t want to read anything into, but this was Dale Lindsay.
“Are we still talking about the needs of the station, Mr. Lindsay?”
“Why of course. What else could we be talking about?” he said with wide eyes.
“Well, as I stated, I’m more than ready to jump right in and get my feet wet and my hands dirty doing whatever it takes maintain the reputation and the integrity of the station.”
“That’s what I want to hear. Now we’re talking young lady,” Dale said excitedly.
“However, I will not do anything that goes against or compromises my own integrity. Just to be clear, and so we’re on the same page.”
Dale’s smile slowly began to wither away into a frown.
“I don’t believe we are, Ms. Mitchell. What would be so demoralizing as to cause you to compromise your integrity while working here?”
Michelle was sick and tired of trying to read between the lines in all of her conversations today. She was almost positive that Dale was propositioning her for the second time, without actually propositioning her. Still, she didn’t want to jeopardize the job she already had, so she chose her words carefully.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lindsay, I’m not implying anything. I just wanted a little clarification on how I could help the station in the future by going the extra mile. Can you give me an example of what might be asked of me as lead anchor that I wasn’t aware of?”
Dale sighed.
“Thank you for coming in, Ms. Mitchell, and my office doors are always open if you have any questions or you just want talk about anything.”
Michelle was more confused now than she was thirty seconds ago.
“That’s it? The interview is over?”
“I’m afraid so. I have Andrea scheduled for one o’clock, but I think we managed to cover everything we needed to.
Michelle was fuming as she stood and placed her test reel on Dale’s desk. It was almost too obvious not to speak up, knowing she wouldn’t make lead anchor unless she was willing to fuck Dale. Her eyes were like to butcher knives as she made her exit.
“You have a good day, Mr. Lindsay,” she said before making her way to the door and yanking it open out of frustration.
The first person she spotted in the waiting area was Andrea, sitting there with an almost knowing smirk on her face.
How did it go?” Andrea pried.
“Fuck off!” Michelle said and stormed down the hallway to the elevator.
By the end of an emotionally trying day, Michelle just wanted her ritual of relaxation. First, the gym with her favorite music on her iPod, the sauna, and then a long soak in her cucumber melon bubble bath.
__________
Jay knew he had Bones on the ropes. After tossing Pistol Pete’s body on the front lawn of their spot, he knew Bones and Skip wouldn’t be making any money from that location any time soon. After that, he sent Ray Ray and friends to every house they knew about with guns blazing. One night they caught Skip creeping around the house on Mansfield at three in the morning. Ray Ray chased him down an alley sending hollow tips flying past his head, but Skip managed to escape. It was only a matter of time before Jay caught up with Bones. If he stayed in Detroit, he’d end up just like Dontae, as far as Jay was concerned. The war had become a cat and mouse game of who would be the first to be caught slipping.
At first, Jay stayed away from Michelle to keep her from being in harm’s way, but each day that went by was like torture being without her. The one night they shared seemed to be embedded in his brain as one the most memorable moments he’d ever experienced. It didn’t seem fair th
at he couldn’t have her.
It didn’t seem right that something special could end like that when it was just beginning. Jay went back and forth with himself throughout the day as he sat around his home in St Clair Shores laying low. The truth was, the two of them could never work. Their lifestyles and belief systems were just too different, but nothing could detract from the way he felt about Michelle. He looked at the time, knowing she’d be awake for little while longer. He knew he owed her an explanation if he was going to make the call. He had thought about it all day long. He even thought about telling her some half-truths, as opposed to the outright lies he’d been telling from the start. Michelle couldn’t handle the truth, not even bits and pieces of it. Selfish or not, Jay couldn’t go another day without Michelle, so he eventually gave in to his desire and called her.
“Hello,” Michelle answered. She sounded cold just with one word.
“Don’t say anything, just listen for minute.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to understand that I didn’t come into your life to play games and bullshit with you. I came to hopefully make a difference in it. But I gotta be honest, the timing could have been a lot better. I’ve lost some people that were very close to me since we met, and it’s really been taking a toll on me”
“I very sorry for your loss,” Michelle sympathized.
“Thanks, I appreciate that. And I know it doesn’t look good on my resume to lose contact with you after the night we spent together. That night was special to me, and I want a lot more than a roll in the sack with you, ya dig?”
“I dig.”
“I wanna make it up to you if you’ll let me,” Jay finished.
“Well, if you’ve had some tragedy in the form of losing a love one, you definitely don’t owe me anything, but I’m thankful for the fact that you helped me understand. I was a little confused for a moment, but hey…” She shook her head from left to right. “You don’t have to make anything up to me, just a simple phone call was good enough for me,” Michelle said honestly.
“I’m glad you understand.”
“Yes, definitely. Take all the time you need and just—”
“No, I don’t need time away from you, we just met. I need time with you. I was thinking dinner at my place Saturday.”
Jay knew there was really nowhere he could take Michelle on a date where he would feel one hundred percent secure with her safety unless he literally had Ray Ray and the goons trail them around the entire date. Instead, he opted for some nice quiet time at home with her, where he knew he’d have peace of mind.
“Are you offering to cook for me, Jay?” Michelle said blushing. After such a long day, it was like music to hear his voice again.
“If you ain’t never had my Chicken Cordon Blue, you haven’t had nothing.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“Well, in my mind, once you see what I can do in the kitchen, the game will be mine to lose from there on.”
“Hmmm, I’ll be the judge of that. Sounds like a date.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter 19
Jay lounged around his home in nylon shorts and a tank top while the Chicken Cordon Blue baked in the oven. It was the day after Lines’ funeral, and he needed a break from it all just to clear his mind and get a sense of what was most important in his life at this point. He woke up thinking of Michelle, and she’d popped in and out his mind all day. He couldn’t wait to see her. When the phone rang, he thought it might have been her, but he was surprised to see it was his aunt Jean calling. His aunt had been like a second mother to Jay, which was one of the reasons he and her daughter, Niecey Girl, were so close.
“Hey Auntee,” he answered.
“Hey my ass! Why you ain’t called me?”
“I’m sorry, I been real busy, Auntee.”
“I wish I could come through this phone and knock your busy ass teeth out. You ain’t never supposed to be too busy for family. Well, at least not the ones you give a fuck about,” she finished. Aunt Jean was always raw and uncut with her tongue; it made no difference who she was talking to. Jay just grinned, knowing she’d never change.
“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
“Sorry my ass! It bet not happen again.”
“Maybe if you didn’t cuss me out so much, I would call and come by more often,” Jay shot back.
“Muthafucka please, muthafucka please, muthafucka please!”
Jay couldn’t help but chuckle as she did her best Bernie Mac impression.
“What’s wrong, Auntee, you need anything?”
“Why I gotta need something to call you?”
“Well, usually after you curse me out, you tell me what you need.”
“You know what? Fuck you! I been worried about your black ass, that’s why I called you. I know you still out there acting like your punk ass daddy, getting into all types of shit. I know it… I been getting bad vibes, Jay.”
Jay hated when Aunt Jean got bad vibes. It usually meant something bad was actually about to happen.
“You a little late with your bad vibes this time, Auntee.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Lines is dead. He got killed last weekend,” Jay informed.
“Lines is dead? Well, when the fuck was you gonna tell me about it?”
“Honestly, I didn’t want you to be worried about me, so I was gonna keep it to myself, but I thought you should know. I know you loved him too.”
There was a long silence between them.
“Jay, it’s time for you to change your life. You know you’re like a son to me, and I couldn’t take it if something happened to you at my age. You’ve done what you needed to do for yourself, now it’s time to let that shit go. Walk away before it’s too late.”
This was the first time in all his years of hustling that she had ever come at him like this. It made him actually take a deep breath and consider what she was saying and how much stock he should put in it.
“I’m working on it, Auntee,” was all he could say.
“I’m serious, Jay. Don’t be like your daddy and get greedy. You get what you can, and get the fuck out! That’s how it’s supposed to be done. Time’s up! You hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you, Auntee.”
“Good. Now when is Lines’ funeral?”
“It was yesterday”
“Yesterday?” Aunt Jean shouted.
“Yeah.”
“You dirty muthafucka, you know that boy was like a son to me, and you didn’t have the decency to call me and tell me he was dead before the funeral?”
“I didn’t. I told you I wasn’t going to—”
“Let me get off this phone before I have somebody drive me to where you are, so I can beat the shit out of you.”
“I love you, Auntee.”
“I love you too. Remember what said.”
“Okay.”
__________
Michelle pulled into Jay’s oversized driveway around 7:30 with the overnight bag he’d made her promise to bring in the backseat. It felt good knowing that Jay was turning out to be the man she thought he was, and not some imposter looking to have a good time. This weekend would definitely be a step in taking their relationship to the next level. You could tell a lot about a person from visiting their home.
She saw Jay’s Mercedes for the first time parked all the way in the back. She admired the landscaping as Jay appeared in the doorway and came out to greet her. He peered into the car as if he were looking for something specific as she exited.
“What are you looking for?”
“Your bag.”
She giggled. “It’s right there,” she said and pointed to her back seat.
“Oh, I see it. Let me get that for you.”
Jay was casually dressed in jean shorts and a Sean John button down. Michelle wore a long colorful summer dress and sandals. She also wore a long gold necklace with a locket Jay had never seen until that day
. Her hair was straight and parted down the middle, hanging on her shoulders. Oh my God, she is beautiful, Jay thought as they made their way inside. The way she made him feel was foreign to him.
Michelle looked around at the living room of Jay’s house, and was thoroughly impressed by the cleanliness alone, not to mention the elegant décor.
“I see you cleaned up before you invited company,” she teased as she roamed around the front of the house.
She came upon the small stone sculpture of an Asian warrior perched on top of the mantel as if he was on guard.
“Does he bite?” she asked.
“No, but as you can see, he has a blade and he’s not afraid to use it.”
“Uh oh. Well keep him away. I don’t trust him already.”
Jay eased up close to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“You’re always safe with me,” he said and planted the kiss on her lips he’d been waiting for all day.
Even though Jay had just buried one of his closest friends the day before, Michelle was like food for his soul. She had been able to alter his mood tremendously throughout every obstacle he’d faced since they connected. They both knew the connection they had was a strong one, but it remained to be seen just how strong it could grow to be.
“Come on, let me show you the rest of the place.”
Jay guided Michelle through the entire house, showing her what he had done to the place and what was already there when he bought it. Michelle’s eyes lit up when she saw the Jacuzzi in the master bathroom, knowing they would probably enjoy it before the night was done. He took her into the game room, which held a full regulation size pool table and a couple of vintage arcade games. After the tour of the house, dinner was served by candlelight, and Michelle was impressed with Jay’s skills in the kitchen. Living the bachelor life, he had picked up many things.
“This is unbelievably good,” Michelle complimented.
“Oh believe it, ya dig,” Jay said as his cell phone rang. It was Dawson punk ass again. He had just left a message yesterday claiming he was just checking on Jay to make sure he was okay, but Jay knew the deal. He was missing the income Jay had been providing over the two years they’d been doing business.
The War Report Page 12
