Chapter 7 #4
“She’s not you,” he admitted.
I sighed again. Our eyes locked and I shook my head to break the eye contact.
I knew I knew the complaint was bullshit.
Crescent was selfish. He was a brat. Wanted what he wanted despite how hard it was for me to give it to him.
I saw this coming. Knew he’d complain. Knew he’d create a problem just to get me here.
I did, however, think it would take him longer.
Thought he’d at least pretend to be content without me as his designer.
“Crescent you can’t be filing complaints, telling lies.”
“I didn’t lie. She is incompetent. She does lack confidence. I told the truth about all of that shit. But what it really boils down to is the fact—she’s not you. If she was anything remotely close to it, we wouldn’t be here. This isn’t personal—it’s business. I want you.”
I turned the corners of my mouth up. “It’s not personal?”
He smiled. Slyly, and bit down on his bottom lip. “Maybe a little.” Pausing, he added, “I want to look up and see you. I want to listen to you. I want to work with you. Not only because of the superficial shit, Mo. It’s your brain. Your passion. I want that. For The House of Nova Ray, I need that.”
I swallowed, shook my head again, and said, “I accommodated you.”
“You did. But she’s not a good fit. I want you for reasons other than wanting to be around you, Mahogany. This project… it’s special to me.”
“I know—which is why I got you the best.”
“The best would be you. Mahogany Mills. No one else.”
I squinted at him. “Crescent.”
“What does it matter, shorty? It happened. We happened. Compartmentalize. Sat it aside and run your business the way you run it. The way you would with anyone else.”
I looked up at him with pleading eyes, and furrowed brows. “You’re not just anyone else,” I whispered.
Silence filled the room again. I looked off.
Put my eyes on the portrait of a little girl, sitting on his desk.
Nova Ray. Had to be Nova Ray. She didn’t look much like him, but she was Nova.
Who else would he had sitting on his desk?
She was a cutie, with pigtails and sandy brown hair.
Her eyes were big and bright. Just as bright as the smile on her pretty little pie shaped face.
My heart ached a bit, as I thought about how short her life had been cut.
Before I could get teary-eyed, I snatched my eyes away from the picture and looked over at him. He was, as always, looking at me.
“What that mean?” He asked.
“Look,” I paused, ignoring his question. “We have a conflict and I’m here to—“
My phone rang, cutting me off. How’d I forget to put it on silent? I fished it from my purse and paused at the sight of Duke’s face. Clenching down on my jaw, I hit ignore and put it on silent. When I looked up at Crescent he was, again, staring at me. This time with a squint.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
“What? Nothing.”
He nodded toward my purse. “Your husband.”
“None of your business,” I said with a snort.
“Your husband. You looked at that screen, and yo’ whole vibe switched. That only happens when that nigga calls.”
I didn’t say anything. Couldn’t. What he said reminded me of what Emerald said when we met…
about how Duke’s calls were obvious because something in my demeanor changed.
That was then, when things were bad but not nearly as bad as they were now.
So, I wondered… what that looked like now, in the midst of what I was going through.
“Anyway,” I said through a sigh, raking my fingers through my ponytail. “Shar. The House of Nova Ray. I’m here to rectify—”
“The only thing I’m willing to accept is a partnership directly with you. No other designers on your team. Mahogany Mills. The agreement we made upon the signing of the contract.”
Oop.
With raised brows, I stared across the desk at him.
Hmph. He had his business hat on. Strapped on real tight.
As tight as I thought I had mine strapped on.
We did have an agreement and regardless of what happened during that time, I was supposed to uphold that agreement.
Crescent had done everything by the book.
When I accommodated him, he was fine with it up until he wasn’t.
And while his complaint might have been some bullshit, ethically and professionally, I couldn’t treat it as such.
I had to abide by business standards and my God that pissed me off.
Because I knew what this was. An abuse of power.
And there was nothing I could do about that.
With a frown, I continued to stare at him. The look on his face was smug. He wore this smile. One that said checkmate.
I snorted. “Okay, Mr. Carter. I will uphold the agreement in our contract. To its fullest extent. Please address me as Mahogany. Don’t call me Mo.
Don’t call me baby. Keep your hands to yourself.
And your flirting at a minimum. This is a business partnership.
No bullshit. None of your… Crescent shit. ”
“My Crescent shit?” He asked with raised brows.
“Your Crescent shit. Like I said. If you don’t… I will be filing a complaint with…” I paused, thinking of who to complain to since he was the CEO. “I will be filing a complaint with HR for unethical, um…unethical behavior and sexual harassment."
He lightly chuckled. “Alright, Mahogany. I hear you.”
“Fifty percent of our meetings will be virtual and–”
“I don’t remember that being in the contract. Separate business from personal, Ms. Mills.”
“I said call me Mahogany.”
He turned the corners of his mouth down. “My bad, Mahogany”
I turned my nose up and sat up straight. “Thank you.”
He smirked. “When is our next meeting? In person.”
“I just said fifty percent will be virtual. You might want to give that contract a second look. Virtual meetings are mentioned.”
“Fifty percent though? Sound like some shit you making up because you can’t handle being in the same room as me.”
I drew back “Boy… what?”
“Grown ass man, sweetheart. You heard exactly what I said. I expected more out of the CEO of Couture Interiors. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the company. I would like to see more of those great things.”
“Are you saying you’re dissatisfied? You’re complaining about the company as a whole now? We’ve accommodated Skylight Industries efficiently.”
“On every project but The House of Nova Ray. The most important one in our contract at that.”
“I wonder why that is.”
“I wonder too. Seems like the CEO can’t separate business from personal.”
“It shouldn’t have never become personal.”
“Facts.”
I made a face at him and snatched my purse off the desk, ready to go. “Is there anything else you need? Any more complaints?”
He stroked his beard and eyed me up and down. “I can think of a few things I need. Couple complaints. Just about the CEO’s attitude. I expect to be treated with the same respect you treat them other niggas with. Especially them uppity ass white muthafuckas.”
I drew back. “Professionalism. You lack a lot of it.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he shot back.
Things were getting heated. I didn't know if he was actually mad or if he was toying with me. There was this fire behind his eyes that I’d never noticed before.
A fire that I matched. I didn’t give a fuck.
Crescent had me fucked up. Complaining about Shar.
Complaining about the company. As if the progress of The House of Nova Ray was solely up to me.
He played a role in the delays. He called Shar incompetent as if he hadn’t ignored several emails, slowing shit down.
“Tired of yo’ ass,” he mumbled.
“Tired of me?”
“Yeah. Ain’t that what I just said? You act like–nevermind.”
“No, Mr. Carter speak your mind. But please… keep it business.”
“Fuck business. My problem with you is personal, nigga.”
“Nigga?”
He shook his head and sat back against his chair. “Mahogany. You frustrate the fuck out of me.”
“Not my problem.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I don’t control your emotions. You control those yourself. This meeting is over.”
He shifted his eyes up at me, the corner of his top lip slightly curled up. “Not until you apologize.”
I drew back again. “Apologize for what?”
“Shardae’s incompetence and for Couture’s inability to uphold high standards.”
I snorted. “Crescent, you’re full of shit.”
He raised his brows. “Now I’m full of shit. What kind of CEO are you, baby?”
I stood up. “Fuck you. I’ll see you in a next week.
In the meantime, check your emails. Respond to them.
Uphold your end of the contract. Don’t be unprofessional and sloppy in business, Mr. Carter.
I’ve heard great things about Skylight Industries.
Show me,” I shot back, using his words back on him.
With that, I turned on my heels to leave the office. He didn’t bother walking me to the door and I didn’t give a fuck. When I walked out of the office, I made sure to slam the door behind me. Asshole.