6. Hammer
HAMMER
My conference call took longer than I thought it would.
Combining my crisis management business with MPWG Law Firm had a lot of pros, but one of the cons was the workload.
It didn’t help that I was also still practicing law, though my main goal was to eventually do crisis management only.
Back in the day, going to law school was for self-preservation.
I’d already made up in my mind that I’d learn the law so I’d know how to break it without consequence, and if I did get locked down, I wanted to be able to defend myself.
When Cujo and I left the family business, I still decided to go to law school, but it wasn’t what I was passionate about.
I did, however, love crisis management. If I could, that was what I’d do full time.
Every time I went to trial, I told myself that would be my last case, but then someone else would need my help, and it was always hard for me to turn anyone down.
As I headed out of the office, I returned Cujo’s call.
More than an hour had passed, so I assumed Merci was free.
I was going to call her when I made it back to the office after I grabbed a quick lunch.
I’d already missed breakfast, and with my workload, I was pretty sure I’d end up skipping dinner too.
Lunch would likely be my only meal for the day, and I wanted to eat it in the peace and quiet of my car.
“Wassup, young one?” Cujo answered, lowering the volume on the music in his car.
I heard the wind blowing in the background, not surprised by the fact that he was driving.
He was almost always on the go, trying to keep his mind busy.
What did surprise me was the sound of a woman giggling in the background.
“Who you with?”
“Un unh. Where you think you going?” he asked whoever he was with.
“I was going to wait outside or in the store to give you some privacy.”
“Nah, stay in the car. I’ll step out.”
“You sure?”
I squinted my eyes, craning my neck like that would help me recognize the voice. It was vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place who it belonged to.
“Positive. Give me a minute, and I’ll come open the door for you.”
“Open the door?” I repeated, chuckling. “Since when did you become a gentleman?”
“Since I was in the presence of a lady,” Cujo grumbled as the sound of his car door closing filled the line.
“Who you with?” I asked again, refusing to believe it was who I now thought it was.
“Ariel.”
My steps faltered, and I looked at my phone as if he could see me before I laughed heartily and continued my walk to the car.
“Nigga, I know you didn’t just say Ariel. Not Ariel, Merci’s sister. How you gon’ tell me to stay away from Merci, but you riding around with Ariel?”
He huffed, making me laugh again. “It ain’t like that, aight?
We exchanged numbers that night, but neither of us are really on that.
She was telling me about her divorce and shit, and since I know how that can be, I wanted to be there for her.
I checked in with her earlier, and she seemed down, so I offered to get her out the house. No big deal.”
“No big de—Cujo. You do understand whether it’s platonic friendship or a romantic relationship that you being involved with Ariel is just as bad as me being involved with Merci, right?”
“Not quite,” he stretched, and I could hear the smile on his face.
“Merc is not Ariel’s biological father. He might consider her his daughter because she’s his son’s sister, but it’s not the same, Hammer.
Plus, nothing sexual or romantic is going to pop off between us.
We can stop talking tomorrow, and I’d be cool.
Can you say the same about you and Merci? ”
Since I couldn’t say yes, I said, “What you call me for?”
His laughter made me smile as I got in my car. “I was just calling to see if you’d be able to join me and Mama for dinner tonight. She said it’s been a couple weeks, and I didn’t even realize it. Tryna make some shit shake for her.”
“Damn. It has been a minute. I can’t do tonight, though. I’ma have a long workday.”
“It’s Sunday. Why are you even at the office?”
Sighing, I started my car and waited for my phone to connect to Bluetooth before I responded.
“It’s a long story, but to make it short, I’m having to combine their crisis management clients with mine, and the process is taking longer than expected.
They only offered the service because I joined them, and none of us expected so many people to inquire about my services. Are you free Tuesday?”
“I’ll clear my schedule. Just let me know what time.”
“Aight. I’ll hit y’all up tomorrow.”
“Aight, young one. Luh you.”
“Luh you too,” I replied before ending the call.
All I could do was shake my head as I merged into traffic.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t believe my brother when he said nothing would happen between him and Ariel.
I couldn’t recall a woman Cujo let have access to his heart as an adult.
He had a first love when we were teenagers and his first heartbreak in his early twenties.
After that, he stopped putting forth effort with women because he felt like he had too much baggage.
A part of me wanted to believe love could help him heal, but the other part of me knew Cujo didn’t believe love and happily-ever-afters were in the cards for men like us.
When I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant I’d grab lunch from, I dialed Merci’s number. It took her a while to answer, but eventually, she did with, “Yes, Mr. Hammer?”
“You ready for me to prove my love?”
Her soft giggle made me smile. “No, sir.”
“Why not?”
“I’m still… eh… handling my situation.”
“Well, I’ma get cha, no matter what. It can be now while you’re attached or after you call things off. Either way, you’re mine.”
Merci sighed. “And I’m still trying to figure out why you’re so invested in someone you just met.”
I thought about her question carefully. I didn’t want to tell her I needed to experience her to figure that out myself.
Instead, I told her, “A wise person once said, ‘accepting the unknowns of life and love leads to faith if one chooses to believe.’ I can’t tell you why you’re mine.
All I can tell you is if you trust me to prove it, I’ll prove I’m worthy of you and your love. ”
“Aren’t you ever the charmer,” she said, and I could hear her smile in her voice.
“No charm or game. Just my truth.”
“We’ll see. I have to go, though.”
“Alright, sweetheart. We’ll see each other soon.”
“Okay, Mr. Hammer.”
I chuckled as I ended the call. She really had no idea that she was already mine.
After going inside and placing my order, I called Cujo back to get some information out of Ariel.
She didn’t want to give the goods up initially, but when I shared with her that I was trying to put together a gift for Merci to soften her toward me, Ariel agreed.
She told me what Merci’s favorite food, flower, color, and clothing and jewelry brands were, along with her address.
By the time my food was done, I’d already gotten the list of things I wanted to purchase for Merci together.
Truthfully, I had no idea how things would play out between us when Merci’s father found out who I was. If all we had was the present, I’d make the most of it and ensure I treated her well enough for her to remember me for the rest of her life.