Which begged the question for them: What was up with this relationship? Bobby knew William had nothing to do with women her age: He seemed to despise them in fact. That was why he didn’t see it, at first, for what it now clearly was. But Sloane, who knew William had picked her up from prison last night, knew what it was the moment Joy walked into that kitchen.
And Bobby and Sloane both knew it was a horrible idea.
But who were they to voice their opinions to the man that signed their paychecks? They said theirhave a good dayandsee you latervaledictions, and left.
When Joy finished eating, she went to the sink and washed and dried her plate and fork. She finished her soda, tossed the can into the receptacle, and belched.
William laughed.
“Sorry,” she said, smiling too.
And then they stood there. He looked so handsome, she thought, in his gorgeous suit. And she couldn’t help it. “Is blue your favorite color too?”
“No. Why would you ask?”
“Because we both have on blue. It’s my favorite color.” Then she looked closer. “What kind of blue are you wearing anyway?”
“Periwinkle,” William said.
“Peri-who-kle?”
He smiled. “It’s a periwinkle-blue.”
“Oh,” said Joy, although she never knew such a color existed.
“Ready?” he said as he perused her body again. He knew he should have left her alone when she came to his room to help him. And to not use a condom knowing she was so young and impressionable and would take it for more than what it was.
And yet, despite knowing better, he still wanted her again. Which was not good. Which was insane! If women his age believed they could change him and become his number one, he could only imagine what a woman Joy’s age would believe. Marriage? Kids? It wasn’t going to happen!
He had to break this off with a hard break before it went any further, and before he ended up breaking her heart.
“I’m ready,” she said with her purse clutched against her small frame, as if she was heading to the firing squad, not toher future office job. Which only made him even more regretful as they made their way out of the house and into his waiting Mercedes. His bodyguard got off of the front passenger seat and opened the back door for Joy first, and then the boss. Then he got back in himself.
And they were off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
As soon as the Mercedes drove past the security gate and the guard house on the outside of that gate, they got into it about Plan B.
“What you said about going to the pharmacy earlier,” Joy said to William, “is something I don’t think I wanna do.”
“I told you that isn’t debatable, Joynetta.”
“I know what you told me. But since it’s my body I should have the right to decide what I put inside of it.”
Joy quickly realized that was the wrong way to phrase it since she had no problem puttinghiminside of her. But she objected to a pill? “What I mean is that should be my decision alone.”
William let out a harsh exhale as if he really didn’t want to be bothered about that, and then he pressed a button that lifted a privacy glass between the driver and his bodyguard up front, and himself and Joy on the backseat.
Then he looked at her. “You want to be pregnant?”
“No! That’s not what I mean at all.”
“Then why won’t you take the pill that will more than likely prevent a pregnancy?”
“Because I don’t wanna do that.”
“You are just starting your career, Joynetta. Are you ready to take on a kid? Because I’m not going to.”
