Chapter 6 #2
For three hours, I sat with Susanna, learning how to schedule appointments, set calls, pay invoices, and make cold calls in addition to hosting lunches, events, and maintaining a tidy office. She was extremely helpful and never got frustrated with my numerous questions.
"You're doing so well, Mila. Are you sure you've never done this before?" Susanna asked with a smile.
I shook my head. "Never, I'm just trying to show Mr. Houston I appreciate this job."
"Well, I will let him know personally you're doing a good job and it's just day one."
"Thank you, Susanna."
She smiled and turned back to the computer to show me something different. Seconds later, the sound of Tremaine's shoes could be heard heading in our direction.
"How's it going, ladies?" he asked.
I looked up from the computer at him and softly gasped at his appearance.
He had on a pair of black square glasses.
He no longer wore his blazer, and the top of his shirt was unbuttoned, showing off the gold chain with an H.
He had his sleeves rolled up, exposing many tattoos on his arms. His eyes bounced from me to Susanna and back.
He had me stuck, and I couldn't form a sentence.
Tremaine had become the finest man I had ever laid eyes on. I was thankful Susanna spoke for us.
"It's going well! Ms. Mila here is a natural. She's killing it."
He looked at me and smiled. My honeypot warmed up, so I squeezed my legs tight to control the feeling.
"That's good to hear. I'm sorry I didn't come out to check on y'all much earlier. I got wrapped up in meetings."
"It's okay. We were so busy working and didn't even realize how much time had passed," Susanna said, standing to her feet, stretching.
"Well, it's lunchtime. Did you ladies want to go grab a bite?"
Susanna shook her head. "Not today, boss. My man is coming to take me to lunch." She did a little dance.
Tremaine shook his head. "Young love." He looked at me. "Mila, would you like to join me?"
"Um..."
"Yeah, she will. You owe her a free meal, anyway. She's a new hire. I got one, so she gets one," Susanna spoke up. "Pick the most expensive place with a lunch menu. Boss man got it." She winked at me.
I giggled. "Yeah, I'll be joining."
"Good, let me grab my stuff and I'll meet you out front."
I was a bundle of nerves as I sat outside waiting for Tremaine. I reminded myself to pay attention to my tone and attitude. He was now my boss, and if I wanted to have any chance in the courts. I needed to be mindful of my attitude. A few seconds later, I could hear him walking behind me.
"Ready, Mila?"
I nodded. Tremaine opened the door for me, helping me into the car.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He closed the door and made his way to the driver's side.
Seconds later, the engine roared through the seats.
I melted into the expensive leather seat.
I had never ridden in a Lambo before. The soft R&B music played as he placed the car in reverse.
He tapped his fingers along to the music against the steering wheel.
Tremaine's simple movements sent shockwaves through my body.
He was smooth and not over the top. He had a swagger about him I had never witnessed before.
Kyle didn't carry himself in the same way Tremaine did, so this was a different vibe for me.
"Have you decided which apartment you'd like?" he asked.
Tremaine pulled me from my thoughts, causing me to look at him.
"Yeah, I did."
He nodded. "Cool. Which one?"
"Um... the Ebonee condos."
He smiled. "Good choice. That's one of the most popular ones. It's right in the heart of town. Nice amenities, new appliances, and a quiet area. We'll be in the area for lunch, so we can swing by the apartments before lunch so you can look at them if you'd like."
"Sure, that's fine."
A few minutes later, we arrived at the apartments.
Before I could figure out how to open the door, Tremaine opened it for me.
His act of chivalry didn't go unnoticed.
Kyle thought it was stupid to get out and open the door for me.
He felt that by the time he got around to opening my door, I could've been out of the car.
Instead of debating it, I went along with it.
For fifteen years, I opened the door for myself.
I had only been in Tremaine's presence for less than an hour and hadn't touched a single door.
We walked toward the leasing office and were greeted by a young, brown-skinned woman with braids flowing down her back.
"Mr. Houston, what brings you by?" she asked, standing to her feet.
She batted her eyes at him and played with one of her braids. I scoffed internally. It was obvious she was trying her hardest to flirt with him.
"Can I get the key to Apartment 2092? This is Mila Cruz. She will occupy the space as of today."
The young woman no longer had a grin on her face as she looked at me from head to toe.
"Hello, Mila. I'm Laneese. Nice to meet you."
I knew it was a lie, but I plastered on a fake smile. "Likewise."
She shifted her eyes back to Tremaine and placed a silly grin on her face.
"Is this your sister or cousin?" she asked.
My eyebrow raised, confused as to why it was any of her business.
"She works for me," Tremaine answered. He was straight to the point. "Can I get the key? I'm on my lunch break and crunched for time."
"Oh, yeah, sure. One second." Laneese sped off to the back to grab the key.
"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Laneese is nosy as hell. She works hard, and she makes sure this place is run properly, but she will get in your business."
"Are you sure it's her being nosy, or something else?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?"
I instantly put my foot in my mouth. I had to remind myself that he was my boss now. I needed to watch what I said at all times. Before I could reply, Laneese returned holding a key fob.
"Here you go. Do you need anything else?"
He shook his head. "I appreciate you. Come on, Mila, let me show you the space."
I fell in line behind him, but I didn't miss the eye roll Laneese gave me.
I chuckled and shook my head. She clearly had a thing for him, but he didn't have one for her.
She had nothing to be concerned about with him and me.
Regardless of how fine Tremaine was, there was no man out there fine enough to make me ever want to deal with men again.
We finally made it to Apartment 2092. Tremaine scanned the key fob, and the door unlatched. He stepped to the side.
"Ladies first."
I opened the door, and a small gasp left my mouth.
The pictures didn't do it any justice. The apartment was beautiful.
It was spacious and full of color. There was colorful furniture in the living room, along with decorative art, like the art in the office.
I walked further into the apartment, looking at each bedroom.
When I made it to the primary bedroom, my breath was taken away.
It was massive and had a connecting bathroom with a walk-in closet.
There was also a king-size bed with white sheets and decorative pillows.
"Mila," Tremaine called.
"In the master," I replied.
I hadn't realized that he wasn't behind me until then. My mind was only on how beautiful everything was and how I couldn't wait to show KJ. It killed me to have him stay in a hotel while sharing a queen-size bed. Now he was back to having his own room and space.
Tremaine walked into the bedroom and smiled.
"This place is nice, right?"
I nodded. "Beyond nice."
"This is one showroom. I decided this room would be better for you since it already has furniture and everything. You don't have to keep it. You can add your own flair to everything."
"I can keep the furniture?" I asked, shocked.
"Yeah, it's all yours."
My head was about to explode. All of this was so much. I couldn't believe it.
"Mr. Houston, I don't know what to say."
I could feel tears building up, and the instant regret of the way I treated him that day at the diner killed me.
"Nothing. Just let me know how little KJ likes it." He smiled.
The tears I tried to withhold broke through, streaming down my face. I hurriedly tried to wipe them away but failed. Tremaine reached into his back pocket and handed me a silk handkerchief.
"Here, wipe your eyes. I get it. This is all overwhelming, but I hope these are happy tears."
I nodded. "They're a mixture of both. I feel like shit thinking about the way I treated you, and then you do all this. I just don't know what to say."
"All that is in the past. We're starting from scratch, so soak in this moment. This is about you and KJ. You can't let that motherfucker win. Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you lose."
I cried harder, thinking about the potential battle that I would face in court with Kyle.
"Will this truly be enough? What if he ends up taking my baby away from me?" I asked, sobbing in between my words.
Before I knew it, Tremaine wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. He didn't care about his white shirt and my tears staining it, and neither did I. His cologne invaded my nose and imprinted in my mind. He squeezed me tightly and allowed me to let my tears flow.
"Mila, that will not happen. You and KJ will be fine. I promise," he softly assured me.
I relaxed in his warm embrace. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe and protected. He rubbed his hand up and down my back while softly shushing me.
"You got this, Mila. You're already on the right track. Keep strong and keep going."
His calming but powerful words resonated inside me.
The stress I felt washed away. I wasn't sure how long I stayed in his embrace, but finally we separated when his phone rang.
Once he answered, I sped off to the joint bathroom to check my appearance while he took his call.
I took deep breaths to help regulate how I felt.
He had changed my life faster than Kyle did in the years we were together.
There was a knock on the door, and Tremaine stood there.
"Are you straight?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Can we do a rain check on lunch? I have a customer at the office, and she says it's an emergency. I need to head back."
"Of course. That's fine."
He smiled. "Alright, let's head out."
I followed behind him as we headed out of the apartment. He opened the door for me and closed it behind me.
"Here are your keys."
"Thank you," I replied, reaching for the keys.
"You're welcome. I must say, this apartment looks good on you."
He winked at me and started in stride to the car. I wouldn't lie and say the simple gesture sent a chill down my spine. Once we made it to the car, he opened the door for me and helped me inside. Seconds later, we were back on the highway to the office.
"I'll order something for you to the office to make up for this urgent request."
"I appreciate that."
"No doubt. Plus, I'll probably have you leave early today. KJ needs to see where he'll lay his head."
I didn't have to look at Tremaine to see that he was smiling.
There was something about him that had me curious.
Out of all the people he could help, why me?
I didn't believe the spill about Chasity because Chasity said they were cool, but not grand favor cool.
I couldn't help but wonder what it was about me and my situation that made him want to help so much.
However, I planned to be appreciative of it while trying to keep my attraction to him nonexistent.