“I told you I was going out of town.”
“So, what are we arguing about?”
“Just make sure your mother doesn’t—”
He glanced into the mirror, and Earl looked away.Sighing, Shomari told himself to stay cool.He didn’t need his business on the streets.Lowering his voice to a harsh whisper, he said, “Keep her out of this.The way she feels about you has everything to do with your behavior.If there’s nothing else, I have to go.”
“I’ll have things to say if she does anything to …”
Shomari stopped listening.Mother was many things, but she wasn’t abusive, nor vindictive.
The Honda pulled up at the electronic gate, which slid open as if someone inside had been watching for their arrival.
He handed Earl the fare and opened the door.“I’ll call you a little before I need you,”
The other man nodded, tooted the horn, and rolled out.
Shomari stood in the parking lot, moving his head this way and that to relax his muscles.A moment later, he ran up the steps and pressed the buzzer.
Lizette smiled from behind the counter and motioned for him to walk through the opening.With a cell phone pressed to her ear, she turned away and beckoned with one finger.She moved ahead of him to her office and pointed to the visitor’s chair while still on the phone.
When she sat across from him, her expression slid from pleasant to perplexed.“Part of the reason I’m here today is to meet with you.”
Her eyebrows crumpled, and Shomari let his gaze go to the Christmas tree in the corner.The size of it and the number of baubles, lights, and whatnot told him Lizette enjoyed the season.Someone had piled gift-wrapped boxes on a bed of white cotton to ensure no detail was missing.His lips curved reluctantly at the sight of the sprinkle of faux snow, which was as likely in Jamaica as having his life turn right side up any time soon.
The office was cool and silent, which was a relief.Christmas music would have done more to depress than soothe him, since he didn’t have anything to look forward to in the coming weeks.Christy had seen to that when she took everything he valued.
At the thought of Natanya, he corrected himself.Not everything.
Chapter 4
Aballofmiserysatin Lizette’s stomach, and her heart was heavy with disappointment.Nothing was working out the way she planned it.She needed time to analyze and rethink her business plans away from the six-foot-tall mountain of complication in front of her.
Why had she told Shomari to come in this morning?She’d been resolute about not hiring him yesterdayuntilthe twins bombarded her during their online conversation last night.
“Trust me, he needs this job,” Zack leaned in to say.
“But I don’t understand why you can’t tell me the reason it’s so urgent.”
“If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you himself,” was Elijah’s contribution when he looked away from his phone screen.
“Not because you help me withmyschool means you can tell me what to do.”
“We’re perfectly aware of that.”Zack chuckled, then added, “But I hope you remember that the next time you want us to build anything for you.”
“Including more of those animated skits your little people love so much,” Elijah threw in with a smarmy grin.
“Are you two lugs bribing me?”
When they didn’t answer and stared at her with wide eyes, Lizette threw up both hands.“Fine, but if any of this goes sideways …”
“It won’t,” the twins said in tandem.
“In fact,” Zach continued, “there’s an advantage to employing Shomari because he can help you with …”
Her phone rang at that point and she stopped him.“Mom’s calling.”
By the time she finished that conversation, they changed the subject and when it came up again, she forgot about anything but handing out dire warnings of what she’d do to them if hiring Shomari went wrong.Both men offered her smacking kisses and logged off.
