13. Messy as Hell
MESSY AS HELL
When Zora left my home, I worked out, practiced in my indoor basketball gym, and did everything I could to forget my weekend with her. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything.
I was about to meditate in my prayer room when Marice Masters, chair of the Liberation University Board of Trustees name, popped up on my phone. Why was he calling me on a Sunday night?
“Mr. Masters, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
The older man cleared his throat loudly before speaking.
“First of all, let me thank you for contributing to our Liberation University students. They are some of the brightest in this nation, so you are investing in America’s future.”
I frowned.
“It was my pleasure. But you didn’t have to thank me on a weekend.”
“I wouldn’t have contacted you if I didn’t have other concerns.”
“Like what, sir?”
“A dear colleague has informed me that our president has not been presenting herself in a manner that positively reflects our illustrious university. Our board is calling an emergency meeting tomorrow about her behavior. I want you to be aware of this before you hear anything in the press, especially as our newest and most generous donor.”
The board was coming for Zora? Did she know? If so, she hadn’t said anything about it. They must not have known that Zora and I were cavorting all weekend.
“Are you referring to Dr. Zora Langston? I met with her at a Thursday luncheon and had no concerns about her professionalism or actions. She is an astute, intelligent leader. What am I missing?”
“Let’s just say that who she appears to be behind closed doors is quite different from the person you came in contact with. We are still getting to the bottom of it, but I want to protect those who might feel the fallout of what’s happening.”
I bit my fingernails, trying to think quickly about what I could ask to find out more information about what the board had against Zora.
“Since my foundation is upstanding and represents high values and standards, I’d love to know anything else you can tell me about Dr. Langston’s questionable behavior.”
“I’m sending you a text message.”
Within seconds, a message from Marice came to my phone.
I put him on speaker and glanced at the photo of Zora at the Torch game.
Of course, I’d seen her last night, so I knew she looked smoking hot.
I bit my lip as I recalled how silky her bra was and how luscious her breasts were.
I regretted not licking the tips of her pebbled nipples.
“Dr. Langston signed a public decorum agreement when she was hired. Between you and me, we had our concerns since she is single and quite easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean.” Maurice laughed like a dirty old man.
I turned my nose up in disgust, itching to curse him out. I bit my tongue to stay silent. There was no need to make things worse for Zora than they needed to be.
He continued. “You see, Liberation has never had a woman—an unmarried woman president—at its helm. We didn’t want any scandal because of it.
We must remain beyond reproach since the biggest white universities want to pigeonhole us anyway.
She knew what was at stake for us when she joined us, yet she went out in public looking like… excuse my language, a slut.”
How did a school called Liberation police a woman leader like it was 1955? I was about to rephrase my thought but couldn’t get a word in, as Marice continued his judgmental rant.
“Never had I seen her look like that before. You can see the outline of her thighs and hips in those tight pants and heels. Her nipples are poking out if you look hard enough too.”
By now, I was officially pissed. Marice’s perverted ass examined Zora like he was a medical doctor.
“Excuse me, but she’s an independent woman.”
“Even her toes were painted red. My wife calls it Whore Red. And that long hair had her looking like a Jezebel. I wouldn’t have known it was her if the young woman who posted it on social media hadn’t referred to Dr. Langston by name.”
“I still don’t understand this intense scrutiny on a president that’s doing a phenomenal job at Liberation’s helm.”
“This might go over your head as a basketball player. Liberation represents one hundred thirty-five years of civility, modesty, and professionalism. We will not thrive if our university leader can’t cover her body when she represents us in every capacity. This, Mr. Kinney, is unacceptable.”
What did he mean “go over my head?” He was the problem, given his obsession with Zora’s body. No man should police her like that. What the hell was really going on with this university? Had I made a mistake committing money to them?
Through the phone, I could tell the pompous Marice Masters was proud of his put-down of Zora. If he didn’t know me and degraded Zora like this, there was no telling what he said about her to the people closest to him. What a hateful, bitter man.
I rolled my eyes, not believing the board could be so petty. Was he messy or plain stupid? Why would he call a Torch player about the president being at a Torch game?
No wonder Zora was on pins and needles about being with me and exposing herself. She was being emotionally abused at work by men like Geoff and Marice. That was no way to live.
“I’m also calling because you have inside folks at the Torch. We need to know who she was with and what she did that night, since she was in a Torch-sponsored suite. Are you willing to assist us before our news goes public?”
To intercede for Zora, I needed more information. I’d have to get in bed with these idiots to do that.
“Sure. Let me dig around. I’ll let you know if I find anything out.” I gritted my teeth as he complained a couple of more minutes.
When he hung up, I was ready to spit fire.
I racked my brain to craft a plan. First, I needed to know what happened when Zora left my house.
Had she broken things off with Geoff? My gut told me that his grubby paws were all over this mess.
I called Luther to my home office and replayed the details of my call with Marice to him.
“Yo, that’s messed up, man.” He shook his head in disbelief. “That fancy joker didn’t say anything about Dr. Langston being your date and spending the weekend here?”
“Not a word. That means my team did a great job laying low and not revealing her whereabouts. Thank you. I need to call her.”
“You haven’t already done that?”
“It’s complicated.”
“A group of twisted folks are coming for a good person. I’ll ask again, Boss. Why didn’t you tell her immediately?”
I looked at the ground, afraid of how Luther might judge me since I hadn’t made the best personal choices this week.
“We fought, and I pushed her away. I was too prideful to work out our differences when she was here, so I let her go back into the world where I knew a wolf was waiting to devour her. At least, that’s what I’m guessing happened. I wasn’t the friend I professed to be.”
“Give yourself grace, man. What kind of wolf is coming for her?” Luther raised an eyebrow.
He’d never been one to allow me to wallow in self-pity. And he was nosy as could be.
“He’s the guy that scratched Zora’s sexual itch until she realized that was the job she wanted me to have.”
“Damn…y’all move fast.” Luther rarely cursed, but when he did, it was never good. “You have to make this right.”
I scratched my temple.
“I know. I don’t want this kind of blood on my hands. I’m already too deep in grief as it is.”
“Call her and tell her what’s going on. Her twin seems trustworthy too. Wild, but loyal. Tell Dr. Langston to meet you at her sister’s house so y’all can talk.”
“You think it takes all that? It’s turning into a TV show drama.”
“Should have thought about that when you slept with that little girl one night and had the good doctor at your house the next…but I’m not one to judge…”
I stared him down like he had two heads.
“Liar. What the hell was that then?”
“Facts, Boss. I don’t know what you did with the president, but you had access to two different coochies on two different nights.”
“Weren’t you just talking about giving me grace? Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
“Yes. When you hook up with the woman you’re supposed to be with. I’m here to remind you to stay on the straight and narrow path. We both know celebrities have to move differently. Call the sister to save Dr. Langston. Trust me, Boss. It’s the right thing to do.”
I nodded, pissed at Luther’s truth but happy to have someone else think for me for once. All my energy needed to be directed toward uplifting Zora and preventing whatever mess this was from hitting the fan.