ChapterTwo
Joseph:
As I drive home, my mind stays on Joyce. Not just our time in the stockroom, but her and what Jabarri uncovered or rather what he didn’t uncover. I pull into the compound, park, and walk in the house. Jag is at the breakfast bar looking like he’s lost his best friend.
“Why didn’t you just go with her?” I say.
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want her to feel like I had to be her shadow, but damn, I miss her.” He sounds so broken I honestly feel bad for him. I don’t understand how a man who never even thought of marriage and dated women like it was a sport could fall so hard and so fast.
“Why don’t you fly out to her? Josh, you look pitiful,” I tell him as I take the stool next to him.
“Just wait, Seph, your time is coming, and I can’t wait to see how you’re going to handle it,” he says to me, “Besides she comes home tomorrow.”
Yeah, I doubtthat I think but don’t say out loud.
“Where is everyone else?” I ask as I notice how quiet the house is.
“Atlas is missing…. again. And the others are either in their wings of the house or out somewhere. I just came out here because my wing smells like Savvy and I miss her.”
I hold in the chuckle seeing that I do not want to go to dinner with a black eye. Josh does not play about Savannah. I would like to say he better be glad he got to her first, but once she ran into him in the airport, it was over for both of them. She fits right in with us, and her kids are another welcome addition. My favorite is Skai, but I’ll never admit that out loud. I imagine she is what my daughter would have been like had I had kids. But all of Savvy’s kids are amazing, not to mention the grands. Bubba only has eyes for his Bibi, but little Sarai has us all wrapped around her little finger.
“Well brother, let me go get out of this suit. I have a dinner date to get ready for.” I slide off the stool and head to my wing. It is on the same side of the house as Josh but on the third floor. We all have our area of the house set up with things that are just ours. Being a former marine special force, I specialized in poisons of all kinds, so I have a chemistry lab that would make any chemist green with envy. But I also love all things aquatic, so I have a fourth level on my side of the house that holds my custom-made deep dive pool. I became a deep dive aquatic specialist while I was in the marine corps and swimming is my stress reliever.
Walking in my bedroom, I head straight to the master bath, remove the suit and put it in the dry cleaner that’s in my laundry room off the closet. The rest of the clothes go in the laundry basket to wash later, I grab my towel and head into my steam shower to wash and get ready. Wrapping my hair up in a top bun, I put my bonnet over it, turn the shower on and get in. My bathroom has two showers, a steam shower and a ceiling shower in the other, a soaker tub, double vanity, water closet, heated floors and heated towel rack. I turn the music on that is integrated in the mirror that also doubles as a tv, and Labrinth flows out of the speakers built into the walls.
An hour later, I am washed, lotioned, dressed and smelling great. All white for tonight’s dinner. White pants, white shirt, white jacket with the tan belt and shoes and my Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous cologne. I grab my keys and wallet and head to Peter’s hotel to have dinner with Joyce. When I make it downstairs, I notice Josh is no longer sitting at the breakfast bar, and the house is completely silent. I choose to take the McLaren to match my outfit, and the engine purrs to life as I head to the hotel.
Joyce:
The product release went better than planned. I sold out in less than two hours. But not just that, that tall drink of water that fucked me within an inch of my life was the icing on the cake. I am in no way a prude and very ok in my sexuality. I don’t generally sleep with men I don’t know, but when I saw him walking in the store looking like he owned it in that charcoal grey suit and all that hair hanging past his shoulders, misty was wet in seconds. And then we locked eyes and just like that my underwear was missing and I was getting fucked against the stockroom door. Do I regret it? Hell no, the only thing I regret is that it didn’t last longer. But I plan on rectifying that tonight. I will be leaving tomorrow and that will be that. I will never see him again, oh but the memories I’ll take with me. I head back to the hotel to shower, change and prepare for tonight.
When I walk in the hotel I head straight for the front desk.
“Can I help you?” the gentleman says. Damn, he’s a fine silver fox.
“Yes, I wanted to schedule housekeeping and turn down service for seven pm tonight if that’s possible,” I tell him.
“Of course, we can set that up. What room are you in?”
“PH2101,” I tell him.
“You have butler service. Have you relayed your wishes to him?”
“No, I declined the service,” I say with no further explanation.
“No worries. I will send Melody up at seven to clean and turn down the bed for you. Was there anything else you need, Ms. Haynes?” he asks me.
“Yes, what is your name? I would love to tell your supervisor of your excellent customer service,” I say, referring to how he intuitively knew I would feel more comfortable with a woman in my space without me telling him.
“My name is Peter, but it’s going to be pretty hard to let my supervisor know about my customer service, seeing that I am the owner,” he says with a smile.
“Aww, well that explains why this hotel came highly recommended by everyone I asked. Nice to meet you, Peter. I appreciate all your help and kindness. I hope to see you again before I leave,” I say. “I love to make connections whenever I can, and I would love the opportunity to talk to you about using my products in your hotels.” However, as fine as Peter is even if he said no, it would be time well spent, I think.
“Feel free to leave me your business card and perhaps we can set up a time to meet,” he says.
“Thank you, Peter. I hope to hear from you soon,” I reply as I take the card he offers and put it in my purse, and I head to the elevators.
Once in the room, I strip as I head to the bathroom. I put on my shower cap and wash with the new body care products my business partner and I are creating. I can’t wait to release this new line of products. One thing I have learned in business is that you have to diversify to survive. I pull out the black, backless leather bodycon dress, and black heels to match. I put on my platinum and diamond safety pin earrings, diamond ring and tennis bracelet. Finally, I grab my purse, spray on my Roja Haute Luxe perfume, and head out to meet Joseph in the lobby.