“Maybe. The hotel would probably make us jump through hoops…”
“Okay. I’ll send you the link of the interview, the pictures I took, the pictures she took, and any video her friends took. That will at least put a big ass hole in their claim.”
“Fair enough. I’ll prepare a cease and desist letter. That’s usually enough to scare people off. If not, we will at least have time to build the slander argument for the defamation case.”
“Send it as if Heaven is your client. I have other legal ways of taking them down in the works as well. I don’t want to reveal myself just yet.”
“Are you really doing it legally, or are you just telling me that because I’m a lawyer?”
I make it to the bar and pour myself a drink. “No, it’s legal. I’m pulling my sponsorship from their magazine. And, I’m scheduling a meeting with Dre’s boss about his boldface lying.”
“You’re ratting him out.”
“I’m singing like a fucking bird. They knew what they were doing. They followed us around trying to get her to care. I warned them to cut it out. Ashley’s dad tried to accuse Heaven of intervening when she was having dinner with her friends and me. I warned him then as well. Up until their wedding day, he tried to get under her skin. He stopped her in the hallway while she had her luggage trying to get to the airport to leave Hawaii hours before their wedding. Even with that, here we are almost two months later, and Ashley uses Dre’s access to the media to discredit Heaven and mess with her career.”
“Wow. That’s excessive. I can tell you care for her by how much this bothers you. I’ve never heard you this worked up. It goes against your surfer creed.”
“I know, and I hate that they’ve harshed my mellow,” I joke. “I’m going to take away all their jobs, takeover that magazine, and dismantle it.”
“But what about the innocent people who work for the magazine?”
“You’re right. That’s why you’re the lawyer I called. After my hostile takeover, I’ll give it to the one person they don’t want to succeed. But iFit as a brand will no longer exist. How’s that, Beau?”
“Perfect.”
* * *
Heaven
I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep until I’m awakened by Axel’s soft kisses on my shoulder. I try to hold my cyber-attack terror at bay. I’m going to Houston, find Ashley, and choke the hell out of her. If she wants me to be a villain, I’ll show her a villain. Axel’s kisses are making it hard to stay mad.
“Heaven? Darling. I know you’re having a bad day,” he whispers. “I thought it would be a good day for comfort food. For your soul. You know…soul food.”
I start to giggle. I can’t help it. “Are you serious? In Malibu?”
“No.” His tone is still placating. “I sent Paulo to the best place on Yelp…”
I bury my head in the pillow and laugh some more.
Axel is still serious. “I have a whole feast.” I hear paper rustling. “I have a list. We have baked, fried, and smothered chicken, smothered pork chops, fried fish, baked turkey wings, oxtails, meatloaf, ribs, red beans and rice, cornbread dressing, steamed cabbage, black-eyed peas, yams, mac and cheese, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, collard greens, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, pound cake, cornbread muffins, and a gallon of tropical punch Kool-aid.
I peek up at him. He’s smiling like he just did the greatest thing in the history of man. “In other words, you bought everything at the soul food restaurant?”
Axel beams at me. “Yup. He’s sold out. Paulo said he was so happy, he gave him a bottle of hot sauce for free.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to be impressed or offended.”
“Go with, ‘impressed.’ Why would you be offended?”
“If you’re sad, am I to assume you want schnitzel?”
“I see where you’re going with that, but I do like schnitzel. Do you not like anything I read off the list?”
“I love it all.”
“Okay, then.” He scoops me up off the bed. “Let’s go feed our souls.”
I chuckle although my stomach growls. “Stop saying that. You sound so white right now.”
