Chapter 25
The paperwork didn’t just declare that Russ and I were in a relationship.
It stripped my ability to sue the company for anything in regard to the relationship.
That was the only sticking point for my uncle, and he advised me not to sign it.
And while I understood why they felt the waiver of liability was necessary, I would never sue Russ or RLF if things didn’t work out.
I would never try to tear down what he’d worked so hard to build.
But I knew that it wasn’t about me, the relationship, or even protecting Russ.
It was about protecting the company. And I had to sit with all of that for a minute because my uncle wasn’t wrong. It was a risk to agree to those terms.
Is it worth it? Is he worth it? My uncle’s questions swirled around in my head as I read the contract for the fourth time, coming to the same undeniable conclusion. Yes.
Nina: I read the paperwork from your lawyer, printed it, and signed it already. Can’t wait for you to get back!
Russ: I signed it, too. But I have some bad news.
I stared at the text message for a second and immediately thought about Taisha.
Even though I’d thought about telling him Monday night when I got home from New York, I knew he had a big day on Tuesday, and I didn’t want to get in his head.
So, my plan was to tell him that I thought Taisha suspected when he got home, but his flight got delayed.
He was stuck in the airport with at least five RLF employees and it just didn’t feel like the right time.
Especially since I don’t know if she knows for sure.
Nina: What’s wrong?
Russ: My flight just got delayed. Again. Now I’m supposed to land at eleven o’clock. I won’t get home until almost midnight.
Nina: They’ve delayed it twice. You don’t think they’re going to cancel it altogether, do you?
Russ: I hope not. I’m just ready to be home. I had plans for you. I’m sitting in this airport trying not to be rude to the team, but all I can think about is getting back to you.
Nina: If you think saying stuff like that is going to get me to fuck you, you’re right.
Russ: Yo, what is wrong with you? I’m laughing my ass off.
Curling my legs up onto the couch, I smiled. He had a long day with meetings as he concluded Fashion Week. I knew the three extra hours at the airport didn’t help, so I was glad to lift his spirits.
Nina: I’m looking forward to you getting back. I miss you.
Russ: I miss you, too. You have no idea.
Nina: That video call last night gave me some idea.
Russ: I was trying to do all the things I was talking about doing to you tonight.
Nina: I had an outfit all planned out for you to make good on your promises.
Russ: We have that meeting tomorrow and I’ll submit our paperwork. Since our relationship will be on the up-and-up, I’m taking you out, bringing you back home, and then fucking you the way I’ve been wanting to fuck you for a week.
Nina: I love everything about that plan.
I texted with Russ off and on all Tuesday night up until he boarded his flight.
I stayed awake until he landed and talked to him his en tire drive home.
He was exhausted so we said good night, but I remained up for another hour.
Flipping through the channels, I stopped when I saw a familiar face.
The name wasn’t on the screen anymore, but I recognized the face.
Grabbing my phone, I took a semi-blurry picture of the image on my screen and then sent it to the group chat.
Nina: Is this who I think it is?
No one replied before I fell asleep. But when I woke up, I had several text messages.
Aaliyah: Is that Jazz’s man?
Jazz: To answer Nina’s question, if you think this was my date to Aaliyah’s party, then yes.
Aaliyah: Just a date? Because you two looked like more…
Jazz: We’re friends.
Nina: Now I know a lie when I read it.
Jazz: It’s way too early for you two to be double teaming me!
Aaliyah: Then just admit that you and this apparently famous man are more than friends. And why didn’t you tell us you were dating a celebrity?
Jazz: I definitely told you both on your birthday that he was a football player.
Aaliyah: He was so cool and laid-back. I didn’t think he was in the league. I thought you meant he was a football player as in he played football for fun or he played back in college.
Nina: He looks like a football player. That’s what I thought you meant. I thought you were describing those broad-ass shoulders. But you meant his job is professional athlete?
Jazz: Yes, he plays for the Maryland Monarchs.
Aaliyah: I’ve never heard of him before, but you know I know nothing about football.
Nina: I know enough about football to know Jazz told that fine man to put her backfield in motion!
Aaliyah: She said go deep!
Nina: Jazz let him go… ALL… THE… WAY!
Aaliyah: Jazz said he could tackle her any day of the week!
Nina: I know he’s impressed with Jazz’s ball handling!
Aaliyah: Touchdown!
Nina: It’s a game of inches!
Aaliyah: Let’s play ball!
Nina: Aaliyah, no. You ruined it. That’s baseball.
Jazz: Are you two done?
Aaliyah: I am, apparently. It was between “play ball” and “goal” and I wasn’t confident about either.
Nina: I have tears in my eyes. This was the laugh I needed this morning!
Aaliyah: Same!
Jazz: I can’t stand either one of you.
Nina: Jazz got a famous boyfriend and now she can’t stand us.
Aaliyah: Can’t do nothing with money!
Jazz ignored us for the rest of the morning, but that laugh was exactly what I needed to get my day started.
Aaliyah told me about her plans to meet Ahmad’s parents that weekend.
After showering and preparing for the day, I posted content on social media and then headed to the office.
I was a little early and with the HR paperwork in my bag and the date with Russ scheduled for the night, I was on cloud nine. I damn near floated into the building.
“Hey, Jonah!” I greeted him with a warm smile as I approached the elevator. “How are you?”
He gave me an odd look. “I’m cool. How are you?”
“I’m good, I’m good.”
“I bet.”
My brows furrowed. “What’s going on? You sure you’re good?”
“I’m just trying to respect the fact that you have a man. I don’t want to step on any toes.”
“You’re going to step on toes by saying hello to me? We’re friends!” I stepped in front of him, trying to read his expression. “What’s up with you today?”
“I’m just trying to keep my head down and get this money.”
I had no idea what he was talking about because my relationship status and lack of interest never stopped him from being friendly before. So, I lifted my shoulders in bewilderment. “Okay…”
We entered the elevator with six other people.
He looked at me out the corner of his eye. “I have a question for you,” he started. “You watch football?”
“Casually.” I shrugged. “I don’t really have a team, but I understand what’s happening on the field.”
My father was a football fan, so I learned the basics growing up.
And there was always at least one man I was dating who was interested in football.
I was always mildly entertained, but I was never a regular watcher.
Which was why it was comical that my entire morning seemed to be centered around football.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “One of my favorite players got hurt last Sunday so they put in a backup. The backup got hurt and they pulled up someone from the practice squad for the Monday night game. That practice squad linebacker showed the fuck up.”
“That’s good…” My sentence trailed off and I gave him a confused look even though he was still fiddling with his phone.
“Since Monday, every media outlet that covers sports has been trying to get more information about him,” he continued. “And I saw something… interesting.”
Four people got off on the following floor.
We reconfigured in the small space, and I was slightly behind Jonah.
He shifted his body so I could see his phone and I saw a familiar face on the screen.
It was the man that came to the party with Jazz, but he looked different.
It was an older picture, so he had a goatee instead of the beard he had currently. But it was definitely him.
My lips pulled upward even though I tried to fight the smile.
“Everyone is trying to find out anything they can about this man.” He paused. “And it turns out, I know someone who knows him.”
I opened my mouth to ask him how he knew I knew him but before the words could escape, he swiped to the next picture.
The elevator doors opened, and my legs wouldn’t move.
Looking from his phone to his face and then back to his phone, I tried to slow down my thoughts.
“After you,” Jonah said, gesturing for me to exit.
Taking his phone from his hand, I glanced at the two people still in the elevator. Forcing one foot in front of the other, I froze right in front of the elevator bank. No one was at the front desk, so it didn’t look like anyone else was around.
“Wh-where did you get that?” I choked out as I stared at the picture of me and my best friends with our dates at Aaliyah’s party.
“My boy is friends with someone who is dating someone named Mecca. She posted it on social media, and after his game on Monday, it’s been shared everywhere.”
Fucking Mecca!
“Most of the reshares cropped the photo so it’s just him and his girl.
” He took his phone from me and zoomed in on the picture, so it was just Jazz and her date.
“But because my boy shared the photo directly from Mecca’s page, I saw the whole group.
” He narrowed his eyes at me. “And that’s how I found out your boyfriend is Boss Man Russell Long. ”
I looked around quickly. “Jonah, it’s—”
“I didn’t understand why he spent every photoshoot giving me the death glare and then it all made sense when I saw this shit.” He shook his head. “If we’re friends, why wouldn’t you give me a heads-up?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“Are you saying you two aren’t together?”