Chapter 18 #4
“It’s late; my realtor isn’t available tonight, but I can easily clear this up in the morning with a phone call,” Shy stated.
She was calm on the outside. She had grown used to the art of fronting.
Her car was a rental for the month. This home was borrowed.
Her clothes were purchased and returned as soon as she shot them and posted pics online, and her shoes were purchased second-hand.
Everything else was attained through influencer contracts.
Wigs, makeup, and boutiques flooded her P.O.
Box with merch in exchange for posts, so she was never short on looks.
It was easy to find a man to spend money on her and cover a few months of living expenses.
They gained clout when they dealt with her anyway, so it was a fair exchange.
Even Lola was an intern. She was working for product and under the promise that Shy would eventually help her build her own influencer brand.
She was going through life on the barter and beg system, and this hiccup was humiliating.
“I’m not waiting until the morning, and it doesn’t matter what your realtor says, they weren’t authorized to lease my home. Here is my deed. Here is my listing, proving that my home is for sale, not rent. She’s trespassing, arrest her, now.”
“I think we can work this out without making a bad situation worse,” Loyal said. “She’s clearly living here, and you haven’t been paid, is that right?”
“I don’t know who’s being paid, but it isn’t me,” the woman stated adamantly.
“How long have you been here?” Loyal asked.
“This really isn’t necessary. I’ve already paid…”
The look of impatience Loyal hit her with shut her up mid-sentence. He knew she was lying. She refused to answer, however.
“I checked on this house after Thanksgiving, so it had to be after that,” the woman said. “She’s been here almost a month.”
“So, how about I pay you for the time she’s been here, and for the rest of the month to give her time to get the place back to its original condition?
I’ll pay you two times the rental rate in the area, which should be about $5000 per month.
I’m in real estate, I should be accurate, but you can verify if you’d like.
That’s $10,000; plus, a cleaning fee of $2500, so you can have it professionally assessed after the end of the month.
It’s much easier for us to take care of with money, than to send these officers out of here with hours of paperwork over a misunderstanding. Don’t you agree?”
The woman wanted to be stubborn, but the $12,500 was sounding like quick cash for her. “I want her out of here by the 31st.”
“You have my word, and I’ll leave my contact information so you can get in touch if there are any issues,” Loyal stated as he opened the banking app on his phone.
He handed it to the woman. “Enter your account info here,” he instructed.
Within sixty seconds, the wire was sent.
“Sorry for the inconvenience, gentlemen.” Loyal stated to the officers.
He waited for the officers and the woman to walk out of the door before he deadpanned on Shy.
“You’re welcome.” The words sent a chill down her spine because she could tell he was not pleased to have to get involved at all.
He walked out, and she watched as he went back to his chauffeured car.
Everyone exited and walked back toward the house.
“We’re going to stay here with you tonight,” Ellie announced.
“I’ll send the car back for you in the morning,” Loyal said, pulling Ellie into him.
“Thank you… for everything,” she replied.
“Stop thanking me. Come home to me in the a.m., a’ight?” he proposed.
Ellie nodded, and he kissed her neck. “I’m serious,” he whispered.
Ellie melted, and Shy stood there in awe. Courtney, too, because Ellie didn’t even show this much affection to her husband. Now, their friend was standing in the doorway, unabashedly loving on this king of a man, allowing him to whisper sweet nothings in her ear in front of her kids.
Ellie curled up close to him and whispered, “I know you’re serious, sir. That’s all you know how to be is serious.” It was a joke, but it carried a tone of truth beneath the laughter.
Loyal licked his lips as a humble smirk revealed a bit of embarrassment. Ellie was hypnotized by his every move, giggling as Loyal gave her a chin-up with his finger before making his exit. He didn’t even acknowledge anyone else. It was like all he saw was Ellie.
Loyal turned Ellie into a mushy girl. He allowed Ellie to be the girl who sighed and placed her hands on her heart as she looked to the skies in amazement when he left the room. That turned Ellie into the happy girl who blushed at the scent of masculinity he left behind.
“Oh, I freaking love that for you,” Courtney snickered. “Bitch, his nose is wide open. Rough-ass, rich-ass man just eating like a dog out the palm of your hand.”
“He’s just different,” Ellie said, but when she focused on Shy, her smile disappeared.
Shy braced herself as Ellie put the happy girl away. “Bitch, now back to you. What the fuck is going on?”
“Wait,” Courtney intervened. “Let me feed him and get all the kids put down. Then, we’ll have a come-to-Jesus meeting.”
“Girlllll,” Shy groaned.
“Courttt, man, ain’t nobody trying to pray and calm down and all that,” Ellie added, joining the protest.
“Your mama taught us how to come to Jesus about this girl tribe when we were in 9th grade. When everybody is…”
“…Misaligned, let Jesus do the straightening,” Shy and Ellie echoed her word for word because it was a lesson they had heard many times from Ellie’s mom before she died. They hadn’t brought their arguments to Jesus many times, but today, it was needed.”
“Fine; we better bring it to the Lord because after my kids were put at risk, ain’t no telling what might fly out my mouth,” Ellie said.
“And she ain’t the only one on bullshit tonight,” Courtney added. “Don’t climb too high up on that horse. Your ass needs to be told about yourself too.”
“Me?” Ellie feigned innocence as she scrunched her face in confusion.
“Yeah, ho, you,” Courtney stated. “PJs in the living room in thirty.”