“Your divorce. I know how messy and ugly they can be, and it will be even more so for you because you’re in the spotlight.”
“That’s not the first time that you’ve said something like that.”
“I know. But I can help.”
“How in the hell could you possibly help? You’d make shit worse, Chanel.”
I reached inside of my purse, and although he had my business number, I wanted him to be able to reach me at any time. It wasn’t just the attraction that I was starting to feel for him. I was compelled to help him, since I was the one who got him into this mess.
“Here, take my card. I know that the last place you want to be is standing here in this damn jail lobby. You’re probably ready to get home and take a shower, call your lawyer, and all that good stuff.”
Shaking his head, he replied, “They didn’t charge me.”
“You must have pulled some long-reaching strings.”
“Or the nigga that was the cause of this bullshit knew it would be fucked up to press charges after the shit he’d done.”
I could feel the aggression rolling off him. That was the last thing that I wanted, for him to be released only to get in trouble again.
“Listen, would you please meet me tomorrow evening for dinner at Blossom? Are you familiar with the Meridian Hotel?” I asked, referring to an upscale hotel with an exclusive restaurant.
“Very familiar.”
“Okay, how about you meet me there tomorrow evening around seven for drinks? I can discuss my plan with you at that time.”
“I don’t know. That might not be a good idea.”
“I was thinking that it would give me a chance to lay out my plan for you. I have some things I need to check into first, so I don’t want to jump the gun, but I’m pretty sure that I can help you get out of all this, looking clean. At least just come out and hear what I have to say. If you like it, fine, we can work together. If not, you can walk away with no strings. No harm, no foul.”
Ashton’s eyes slowly raked over me, and I felt like he was undressing me, but in the most polite of ways if that was possible. My body heated up at his intense gaze, and though itwasn’t my business, I couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since he’d last had sex.
I shook my head. I needed to force those thoughts from my mind.
“Why are you trying to help me?”
“I was the one who gave you that information. If shit goes sideways for you, it will forever haunt me.”
“Sure, I’ll meet you.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow at seven—and Ashton?”
“Yeah?”
“If something comes up, give me a call and let me know you can’t make it. Don’t have me sitting there looking lonely and desperate like a girl just got stood up.”
“Do I look like the type to pull some shit like that?”
“You just never know what might shake out.”
“Yeah, gotcha.”
He turned to walk away from me, and I remained in the spot that I was in.
“Fine ass on that one, don’t you agree?” Thomasina asked, stepping up beside me.
I jumped. I wasn’t sure where she had disappeared to during my conversation with Ashton, and I wasn’t sure when she had returned.
“Girl, you startled me, and no, I wasn’t looking at that man’s ass.”
