I do and I want to give it to her. Just not for the work she’s about to do. I want to give it to her because she asked. Because she’s ready to start a consulting firm. Or because she wants to buy a small private plane. Or because she’s depleted her savings. Or because what’s mine is hers.
“I do and I will.”
“That’s the spirit, my boy,” Indie howled, laying his arm across my back. “And, maybe when she finally lets you slide into her heavenly gates, it’ll all feel worth it. That nigga wasn’t too far off, my brother. You’re about to pay for what might be the most expensive pussy in the world. Two point five.”
He slapped his hand against my chest and rushed toward the door.
“Fuck you,” I retorted, knowing that everything he released was accurate.
I had never paid for pussy but today, I’d be settling a debt on the most expensive piece I’d ever have the pleasure of tasting.
And, that motherfucker better fall right off the bone.
My cell chimed, beckoning for my attention.
“Is that a yes, Mr. Grayson?”
It had been twenty-four hours since hiring Royce. This was her first point of contact. I stared at the message, rereading it six times as I attempted to pull words from her brain that she hadn’t placed in the text.
It was too simple.
Too formal.
Too cold.
Too straightforward.
Too meaningless.
A sigh sliced through the cold, brittle air.
Tomorrow.
The M.
7:00 PM.
Royce.
Three lines. Three numbers. Three punctuation marks. Fourteen letters. I tipped my head rightward, realizing how little effort was placed in the message. My chest tightened. The skin around at the corners of my eyes bunched as my fingers grew restless. I massaged my beard, hoping to bring solace after such a disruption to my nervous system.
Let it go, Ish.
While the lack of effort shouldn’t have bothered me, it did. The entitlement I possessed for the woman who was no longer a stranger was on the rise and it had little to do with the money wired to her account. But, it had everything to do with her.
All of her.
“Mr. Grayson.”
I was plagued with the unknown. I was weighed down to my seat like an anchored ship. My hands moistened around the cell as I read the message again.
And again.
Hoping more words magically appeared on the screen. Or her voice on the line.
“Mr. Grayson!” Matte was no longer across the room.
She was beside me with a hand on my shoulder, forcing me out of my head and back into reality.
