Chapter 16
MAHOGANY
With my arms crossed over my chest, I watched as Crescent headed out of my office.
I wanted to curse him out, but I said nothing because hello…
I didn’t have the right to. I transferred The House of Nova Ray over to Shardae, a lead designer at Couture.
I had to. I said I would, and I did just that.
There was no way around it. I literally could not work with the man.
The few short minutes we just spent together were heavy.
Could you imagine how heavy a full meeting would be?
After what we’d done, we’d probably get nothing done.
I for sure wouldn’t be able to focus. I would be thinking too much about fucking.
Thinking too much about the last time he was between my legs.
Wanting more of that instead of wanting to finish the project.
I didn’t work distracted and that’s exactly what I’d been doing with Crescent.
“Have a good day, Mahogany,” Crescent said, heading for the door, getting ready to leave.
Usually, I walked my clients down. But Crescent was no normal client and things were…
awkward. So, I just stood there, nodded, and wished him a good day too.
I was in my feelings. In my feelings because he’d just threatened to sever ties with Couture if things didn’t go well with Shardae.
I mean, of course he said that. What respectable businessman would continue to work with a company if they weren’t living up to his expectations?
But something told me he’d try to pull some bullshit.
Something in my spirit said Crescent was so mad that he’d jeopardize our contract just because he couldn’t get what he wanted.
And that would be completely unethical and unfair.
My anxiety began to rise, as I thought about how bad things could go because of the decisions I made, and I felt sick to my stomach.
I should have put Shardae onto The House of Nova Ray the minute he requested me personally.
I knew I wouldn’t have been able to work with him.
I knew it was a risk. I could have stopped this from happening a long time ago.
But I couldn’t help it. Found myself drawn to him like a moth to a flame, wanting to be engulfed in his energy.
It was intoxicating, remember? Felt so good to be near him.
Felt so… right. But it was wrong. Despite how right it felt.
Crescent paused a bit and looked over at me as if he wanted to say something. Except, he didn’t. Instead, he shook his head and turned to walk out of the room. When he did, he nearly collided with Duke. What the hell was he doing here?
“Ahh shit, my bad G,” Crescent apologized.
I swallowed and my anxiety immediately started to act up again.
Wha—what was Duke doing here? I was so caught off guard that I paid very little attention to the bouquet of roses in his hand.
He’d been very thoughtful lately. Had just given me a bouquet the other day after therapy.
Now another one? I should have been appreciative, but I felt guilty and undeserving.
Especially now, with Crescent smiling in his face, as if he hadn’t damn near eaten my pussy off the bone with the same lips.
“You good bro,” Duke said, before extending his hand to him. “Ducati.” Looking over at me he smiled and said, “Mahogany’s husband.”
Crescent looked over at me, smiled, shook hands with Duke, and said, “Crescent. Your wife does exceptional work. She’s phenomenal. It’s been a pleasure working with her.”
“Ahh,” Duke said with a nod. “Crescent of Skylight Industries? You’re her new client right? The person that’s been keeping my baby busy as hell.”
Crescent lightly laughed and said, “Hell yeah,” He paused. “That would be me.”
Because I didn’t like his tone of voice or the direction the conversation was going in, I inserted myself by joining them at the door. Turning to face Duke, I gave him a smile, and locked eyes with him.
“What are you doing here, bae?” I asked as we embraced.
Bae. I barely used terms of endearment with Duke but because I felt like Crescent was trying to be a little funny, I threw it in there. Just because I needed him to see that things weren’t as bad as he thought. I mean…yeah… he might’ve been right. But so?
Duke leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. Crescent cleared his throat.
“Y’all have a good day, alright? Mahogany… we’ll be in touch,” Crescent said, as if I hadn’t already transferred him over to Shar.
“You too, Mr. Carter. Don’t forget to check your email. Shardae’s contact information should be in it.”
“Have a good one, bro,” Duke said, before tightening his arms around me, kissing me on the forehead again.
While we embraced, my eyes met Crescent’s.
His eyes traveled up and down my body before they met mine again.
He winked and I looked away. Swallowing, I put my attention on Duke and again, asked him what he was doing here.
I should have been happy to see him and under different circumstances I would have been.
But this? This was too much. Them meeting, shaking each other’s hand.
Crescent being… Crescent… all poised and professional as if he hadn’t fucked me a couple of days ago was a little unsettling.
The way he completely disregarded my marriage was wild.
How nonchalant he was made me nervous. Everything about the encounter did. I—I needed time to process.
“You eat yet?” Duke asked, completely oblivious to how discombobulated I was, as we walked into the office.
With raised brows, I said, “Not yet. I don’t,” I paused and looked up at the clock on the wall. “I don’t go to lunch for about an hour.”
“Damn,” Duke complained.
“How did you manage to leave the site?” I asked, watching as he made his way over to the couch.
I swallowed and rubbed my lips together, standing at my desk, hoping he’d get the clue and join me at it.
But he didn’t. Not at all. He sat down. Sat right where I squirted the other night and I nearly lost it.
Duke needed to leave. He needed to leave now.
But because he wouldn’t and there was nothing I could do about him sitting on the couch, I just turned away and put my face in the noses for a whiff. Mmmh. Horrid.
Duke sat back against the couch with his arms stretched out. “Mark’s on site. He gave me a green light for an hour lunch. I figured,” he paused and shrugged. “I’d surprise my baby.”
“Well,” I said with a smile. “Let’s go!”
I wanted him off that couch. I wanted him out of the office. I wanted him as far away from Couture as possible. I wasn’t due to go to lunch for another hour, yeah but I was the boss and could move as I pleased.
Before leaving the office, I called Tamia and told her to push the Zoom meeting I had scheduled back because I was taking an early lunch. She told me she would and right after, Duke and I left.
The short ride downtown was spent with me in silence, and Duke doing all of the talking.
There was nothing really new about that.
Duke was a chatty patty, especially when it came to talking about work and that’s what he did.
Spent the majority of the ride talking about his coworkers, about how his day was going, and his boss, Mark.
I sat there with my mind on none other than Crescent.
Felt like he was all I’d been able to think about since he’d come back into my life, huh?
It was like that. I was like that. I stayed in my head about every little thing, dissecting every little situation.
Him meeting Duke stayed with me though. I thought about how casual he’d been when he shook hands with him and about the smirk on his face when he winked at me. And just… It gave me chills.
Duke sitting on the couch made me uneasy, too.
Made me feel low. Low, low. Like the cheating whore I was.
I didn’t like it. Liked to keep those feelings tucked.
I hated cheating as Mahogany because I couldn’t hide from what I’d done.
. It stuck with me. Stayed on me like another layer of skin.
I couldn’t get rid of it. Couldn’t stop thinking about the betrayal and I hated it.
I thought… figured… you know… transferring him would help.
It should help, right? I wouldn’t see him as often.
Wouldn’t be spending as much time with him.
Would only meet with him at the end of the month for review.
That was it. I could handle that, right?
With a deep breath, I ran my hands down my pants and looked out of the window. This was only the beginning. I couldn’t run away from what I’d done because it was right on my heels. It’d just happened. I needed to give myself time. Patience… grace.
“That’s crazy,” I threw in there, after Duke told me about Mark’s divorce. I was listening. A little bit. Just enough to throw a ‘that’s crazy’ in there every now and then. That was enough because he didn’t even question how quiet I was. For that, I was grateful.
About fifteen minutes into the ride, we parked and got out.
On the short walk to Dime Store, we held hands.
Duke and I had been affectionate as hell lately.
We were in my favorite place—La La Land.
A place I made up when we were doing too good to be true.
A place that only existed for a little while.
Today, with the sun shining on me, the birds chirping, and the crisp spring air whipping through my hair, I hoped we could stay forever.
It felt like we would. Felt like we could.
Bold thing to say after what I’d done. After what I’d battled with.
But from this point on, it was best for me to look ahead and not back.
That was the only way I was going to get to that place of acceptance and moving on, right?
Letting go of Crescent was the beginning of something promising between Duke and I. Well, at least I hoped it would be.