Lauren couldn’t hide her concern. “Demi...”
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t important,” he said. “We’ll talk later tonight. You got a meeting, right? You got the new girl coming in. You mentoring somebody, right?”
Lauren nodded, hating that he was right. She didn’t have time to figure out whatever was going on between them.
“Yeah. Can you stop by my office for lunch?” she asked. “I really want to talk. I want us to be okay.”
“I’ll pull up, a’ight?”
That settled her nerves some and she nodded before heading to their bedroom to prepare for her day. She and Demi had been through many storms over the years, but she felt like the biggest one yet was approaching. She’d be damned if she let it blow down her home.
“Show me that punch you hit the kid with yesterday,” Demi said as soon as he entered the gym. He bent down to grab the training gloves he had and tossed a set to his son.
“I thought I was in trouble for fighting?” DJ exclaimed.
“For bullying. A man gon’ have to fight in his life sometime. When the time comes, I need you to know how. Put them dukes up, li’l nigga,” Demi said, tapping the side of his son’s head.
“Hold up! I wasn’t ready!” DJ’s protests pulled a chuckle from Demi.
“You think niggas always run up when you ready? It would be nice but it don’t work like that. You stay ready so you ain’t got to get ready, boy. Hands up,” Demi schooled.
Demi put his pads on and lifted his hands. “Let’s get it. One, two,” Demi said. His son threw two rooted punches and Demi tagged his ass.
“Move them feet,” Demi said. “You keep your feet stuck to the ground like that and you’ll get knocked out.”
“You ever been knocked out, Dad?” DJ asked.
“A nigga ain’t never touched your daddy. Your daddy put niggas to sleep, homie. Now, let’s go,” Demi said.
He spent an extra hour training his son before showering and getting him to school. He was late, always late to school when it was Demi’s turn to drop him off, but the lessons he learned along the way, no school could ever teach. It was their time. Father and son. Demi wondered if those times would be fleeting if he did what he was thinking of doing. Leaving Lauren.
Demi wasn’t a cheater, at least he tried not to be. He took no joy in lying to women, especially his woman, and Lauren indeed held that spot. Some men got a kick out of deceiving a woman, out of making a fool of her, out of making them believe one thing when reality was the opposite, but Demi thought it was bitch shit. If a man could sleep next to a woman and lie to her, be disloyal to her, the woman who provided a home, he could do anything. Demi didn’t trust niggas who didn’t have a code, who hurt the person who loved him most. If a man could betray his woman, he could for damn sure put a bullet in his back. How he had become a betrayer ofwomen, he didn’t know, but he had to make a choice. Time wasn’t enough to keep him with Lauren. Or was it? It should be. Consistency over years was better than passion in the moment, right? His dilemma wasn’t easily solved. Conflict lived in him because he couldn’t explain this sudden need for Charlie that had transpired in the blink of an eye. He knew the conversation couldn’t wait. He didn’t know if he needed a break or if he wanted to end it altogether. All he knew was that he was headed to see Charlie and if he did it without letting Lauren know where he stood, he would be digging a deeper grave for himself, one that he would eventually have to climb out of.
Stassi sat in the plush lobby, admiring the style of the office. She held her portfolio in her hands and tapped her foot against the plush carpet, a nervous habit.
Traitor. She was a motherfucking traitor. She had a growing pit in her stomach that had been present ever since the showcase. The fact that she was sitting there knowingly interviewing for a position with Demi’s wife made her feel like shit. Charlie would never hold that type of information. She knew it, but Charlie also didn’t have as much to lose. Stassi was elevating in her career, chasing her dreams.
Charlie’s a mess. She’s singing in bars for tips. She wouldn’t understand what this means to me. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I shouldn’t have to turn it down because of her drama,Stassi thought.
“Anastassia, Mrs. Sky is ready for you.”
Stassi looked up at the assistant. Even she shined like money. Anybody attached to Lauren Sky eventually blew up and became their own brand. Stassi wanted parts.
She stood and rubbed the wrinkles out of her dress, the same dress she had worn for every important event in her life, praying that it brought her good luck. Stassi followed the woman to a conference room. Lauren sat at the head of the table and she was stunning in a Louis Vuitton dress that Lauren recognized from ogling the website.
“Hi, Anastassia, thank you for coming in,” Lauren said, smiling.
“Thank you for having me, and please, it’s just Stassi,” she replied.
“Stassi it is then,” Lauren replied. “Can I get you a mimosa or anything?”
“No, I’m fine, but thank you,” Stassi answered. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m so honored to even be interviewing with you.”
“Day speaks highly of you and he doesn’t speak highly of anyone.” Lauren laughed. “You’re a challenge for him and anyone who challenges Day is someone I need to meet.”
Stassi laughed.
“I take it that’s your portfolio. I’d love to take a glance at some events you’ve done,” Lauren said.
