“Here’s a thought,” countered Mya. “Maybe he was trying to tell you the truth before you decided to bean him!”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “No way! It’s just like Antonio to be sneaky and conniving. The truth and Antonio Steele don’t belong in the same sentence!”
Tanika shook her head as she twirled her pad thai. “I don’t get it. Every time I’ve met the guy, he seems really sweet. No ego. No weird, inappropriate vibes. And that’s saying a lot for a guy who’s a former athlete and an agent.” As a long-time sports reporter, Tanika had known her share of creepy men. “No offense, Jackie.”
“None taken. I’m sure Antonio put on his best performance for you. That’s how he sucks you into his web…with all that charm and charisma.”
“Sucks you in? You make him sound like a vampire,” Tanika said.
“He is.” Jackie bit the inside of her cheek, trying to calm herself all over again. “Dracula himself.”
“All sucking ain’t bad,” quipped Mya.
Mya, Tanika, and Bronwyn howled with laughter. Jackie didn’t think a damned thing was funny.
Tanika cleared her throat. “Jack, I know Antonio may have overstepped when it came to PJ Dawson. But seriously, is that enough to hate the guy? Maybe he was just looking out for a young brother? Like a mentor.”
“A mentor?” Jackie scoffed. “No, he thinks I can’t do my job because I’m a woman. Speaking of which…” She pulled out her phone to look at her calendar, which Calvin had managed to tidy up. “I have to be in New York with PJ on Thursday for his shoe campaign. I still can’t believe the cash they shelled out for Louis St. Jean.”
Louis St. Jean had photographed some of the biggest celebrities in the world. This was a major score for PJ.
“Seriously?” Bronwyn moaned. “You’re going to miss Thyme’s graduation from the homeopathic studies program! “
“Uhm, sorry! I’ll send a graduation gift.” Jackie was apologetic, but honestly, she was grateful to have a legitimate excuse for missing another so-called graduation. Bronwyn’s kids were always switching hobbies and majors and doing whatever on a whim. Jackie was sure she’d catch another graduation when Thyme got bored of this latest thing.
“Dang.” Bronwyn’s shoulders slumped. “He’d love at least one of his godmothers to be there! What about you Tanika?”
Tanika flipped through her phone. “Sorry, babe. On Thursday I have to talk fall programming with the network.”
“You do?” asked Mya, earning her a wide-eyed look from Tanika, who happened to be her boss. Mya cleared her throat, catching on to Tanika’s hint. “Oh right, yeah, I forgot about that meeting!”
Jackie chuckled. Tanika had always been terrible at lying, and Mya wasn’t much better.
“Let’s circle back to this Antonio thing,” Tanika said, clearly eager to change to subject. “I don’t think he’s sexist like you think he is. I’ve interviewed several of his female clients. They vouch for him, on and off the record. They say he makes sure they are paid what they’re worth.”
Mya nodded. “Like that tennis player, Candi Thompson. He got her a nice contract with Wilson, right?”
“Right,” Tanika pointed. “Everyone genuinely likes the guy. Well, except you.”
“Yeah, Jackie.” Bronwyn’s freckled nose wrinkled in confusion. “You are harboring some deep-seated vitriol for a guy who by all accounts seems pretty solid. We haven’t seen you this angry since—”
Jackie held up her hand. “Didn’t we vow not to speak that name ever again?”
That “name” was Katrice Nixon, star forward for the Chicago WNBA team. And Jackie’s former client. Katrice was the reason Jackie thought love at first sight was a joke. She was also the reason why Jackie had spent a year on probation and in court-ordered anger management for bashing the woman’s car windows with a baseball bat. She’d fallen hard for the sexy baller instantly, trusting her completely, only to find out Katrice was cheating on her with the team’s athletic trainers. The car-smashing incident nearly ruined Jackie’s career, and she became a laughingstock around the office. It all but broke her. After that, Jackie had vowed never to date a client or colleague ever again.
“Fine.” Bronwyn slumped back into her seat. “All I’m saying is harboring such ill will is only going to mess up the healthy biomes in your body and jack up your gut health. I do have some probiotics I can give you for that, back at the store.” According to Bronwyn, the solution to every ailment, physical or mental, was in her flagship health food store, Thyme in a Bottle.
“Seriously, can we not talk about guts and stuff at the lunch table?” Mya whined.
Bronwyn reached for Jackie’s hand, gold bangles clinking. “Jackie, what’s the real reason that you dislike Antonio? Be honest. Free yourself from the burden of hating him.”
Jackie rolled her eyes at Bron’s theatrics. “Fine. I’ll tell you. If you promise not to talk about my colon ever again!”
“I can only promise for the duration of this lunch.”
Jackie ran a hand over her hair and scratched at her nape nervously. “Remember when I went to Vegas, about ten years ago?”
“For the sports management conference?” Tanika asked.
