5. Lark
A SHORT TIME LATER…
“Cobia, I promise if she says one more thing, I’m slapping her.”
I was in my office with the door closed, pissed. From the point that I received my company Range, she had made snide comments. Oh, and the backhanded compliments were her specialty. One day that bitch complimented me on an outfit that I wore. She then turned right back around and said that she admired my confidence to wear things that I did at my size. I was a damn size fourteen.
Jacobia laughed on the other end of the line. “Shit, go ahead and slap her stupid ass. You’re smashing the damn boss. Who do you think he’s going to fire?”
“I know that, but I also know the legal ramification that my actions could have on the business if I beat her ass. What I will do, though, is catch her ass outside.”
Since Chance and I made it official, it’d been outstanding. The attention that he paid to every little thing about me was almost overwhelming. We spent most of our time at his house since I didn’t want to invade Jacobia’s space too much. Plus, Joston had been spending more and more time in Mount Pleasant. One day I went over, and my hygiene products were in Chance’s bathroom. Normally, I took them with me. He told me that he took a picture of my products and had a shopper buy them.
My favorite snacks were in the pantry, my brand of water in the fridge. I was surprised to learn that under his serious exterior, he had childish humor. He loved to have fun when we were together. Last weekend, he did the whole pick a card thing. My wake-up options were breakfast in bed or dick. I pulled the breakfast in bed card which was fine because he pulled the cards out after we finished having sex. I thought he was going to order it, but he cooked it!
The afternoon card options were lunch or lunch and shopping. I picked the right card that time, because we had lunch at a local soul food restaurant that I wanted to try, and then he took me shopping. I didn’t realize Charleston had designer stores. When we got back to his house, the So Kate heels he bought me were in the air. The stretch studio sessions had done amazing things with my flexibility.
Early evening, the card choices were to fly to Key West or Vegas for the rest of the weekend. Let’s just say for that one, Numen showed me some new positions. I wasn’t sure if this was our honeymoon stage, but I hoped it lasted forever.
“I mean, if you want me to come up there and cuss her ass out, you know I will. I’m wide open today,” Jacobia offered. I loved that my girl was always with the shits. That was how she was raised.
Before I could respond, there was a knock on my door. My annoyance hit the roof when Eve’s triangle, beanpole body walked in before I gave her permission to. “Hey, Lark. I looked on Chance’s calendar and I don’t see that he has anything scheduled right now. Do you know where he is?”
“I’m not sure why I would if there is nothing on his calendar that I need to manage. Is there something urgent that I need to let him know about or something that I can handle?” The phone receiver was still up to my ear. You would have thought that she would have asked if I was on an important call.
Her top crunchy lip turned up. “Um, no, it’s not something that you can handle. It’s a personal matter. I just thought you would have a GPS on him since y’all seem to be extra ‘friendly.’” She held up air quotes when she said friendly.
“What the fuck did that ho say? Yeah, nope.” Jacobia disconnected the line, causing me to put the receiver back on the hook. Welp, there goes the house.
My back straightened. “Eve, do you have a problem with me? There seems to be thickness in the air from you when it comes to me. I want to give you the opportunity to clear it up.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not on my totem pole for me to think about having a problem with you. I’m not sure what thickness you feel. I know what thickness I see.” Her sparse brow creeped up her forehead.
“Okay, let me clear the air. I don’t like you. You’re messy, unprofessional, and lack the true intelligence to do a job as simple as answering the phone. Your snide comments and backhanded compliments are noticed. I have chosen to ignore them until now. I suggest you take some time to get yourself together before you have all the time in the world to get it together.”
This little girl had me messed up. She was twenty-four, fresh out of college. It was clear that maturity was not a class that she opted into while she was there. She was the gossip of the office. The bad part about it was that she wasn’t good at it.
Her eyes turned to slits, her arms crossed over herself, and her bony hip stuck out. “Since we’re being clear, let me add some crystal to it. I don’t give a damn how you feel about me. You don’t have the authority to tell me to take so much as a lunch. Just because you’re fucking the boss does not mean you are the boss. So how about you go suck the boss’s dick like you?—”
“She may not have the authority to tell you to take lunch, but I do. I can fire you too.” Chance interrupted Eve’s rant.
With wide eyes, she spun around to face him. He leaned against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. God, he’s so sexy. I didn’t realize he was in the doorway.
“Cha-Chance! I didn’t?—”
He walked into the office and took one hand out of his pocket to put a finger up. “Nah, you did. You meant to not only disrespect my executive assistant but my woman. I’ve warned you about your messiness. You can take that messiness somewhere else. You’re fired.”
“Are you serious!” Her voice was louder than it should have been. “Oh, I’m fired but not her? Did you hear what she said to me?”
His hand went back into his pocket. “Yes, I did hear her call you messy, unprofessional, and unintelligent. I frankly can’t say that I disagree, seeing as you’ve forgotten to pass many important messages on to agents. You know what else I heard? You explicitly and vulgarly referenced my dick and Lark’s sex life. Like I said, you’re fired. Get your shit and get out of my building.”
Her head looked like a bobblehead doll the way it went back and forth between Chance and me. She had the nerve to look surprised or maybe it was hurt. This bitch! When her chest started to rise and fall at a rapid pace, I knew she was about to make a bad decision.
“You know what! Fuck this job, and fuck both of you!” When she pushed Chance, then stormed out of the office, I slipped out of my heels. She had to be touched in her peabrain to think touching my man was acceptable.
Just before I could walk out of my office, Chance’s arm stopped me. “Calm down, baby. Never allow your throne seat to get cold. Stay seated.”
From my office, which was at the back of the building, you could hear Eve causing a ruckus in the front. By the time we got to the front, Travis and Marla were out of their offices, trying to figure out what was happening. Eve was walking around talking shit like an idiot instead of packing her Barbie décor desk up and moving around. When she turned and saw me standing there, she advanced toward me. Travis blocked her.
“I should beat your ass, bitch. You think because you’re sucking his damn balls that it means something. Ole uppity ass bitch! Your pussy probably dry!” she ranted.
Chance snickered. “I can guarantee it’s not.”
I smacked him in his arm with tight eyes. I couldn’t believe he said that out loud at work. I gawked at Eve, still jumping around, threatening to beat my ass.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, lil ringworm looking bitch.” Jacobia came up the rear with her Smoothie King cup in hand. Based on how she was dressed, I knew she came to fight. Lawd, be an electrical fence.
Eve spun around on her heels. She sized Jacobia up. A lot of people underestimated her because of her small stature. That was a detrimental mistake. “Bitch, who the hell are you?”
Jacobia tipped her head to the side. “Wait, your Eve Truman. Is your baby daddy Jacquees?”
Ah, shit! Eve’s face contorted, and her cheeks reddened. “How the hell you know my baby daddy?”
Jacobia smiled brightly. “Girl, who doesn’t know tornado tongue Jacquees! The way that man eats pussy and groceries. Chile, had me wanting to buy him a Hellcat. I’m not even going to start on his Thor hammer!”
Almost every mouth fell agape except Chance. He was too busy laughing. This was so unprofessional! Thank God there were no clients in the office right now. Jacobia stood there fanning herself like she was experiencing a flashback.
The gasp that left Eve’s mouth was heard over everything in the office. “Bitch!” She pushed her way from behind Travis and charged Jacobia. My best friend’s ass started screaming with wide eyes. Eve hit her once in the face, and then it was over.
The way Jacobia pounced on her ass and gave nothing but face and body shots was horrid. The gag was that she screamed the entire time like she was the one who was losing. Every other hit, she’d let Eve land one. By the time Travis and Ryan broke them up, Eve was a bloody mess. It always amazed me how quickly fairer skinned folks bruised.
Eve was stuttering and stumbling. I rushed over to grab Jacobia and bring her into my office. She came without a fight while Eve was still up front talking about she was going to beat Jacobia’s ass like her ass wasn’t already beat the fuck up.
When Jacobia and I went into my office, I closed the door behind me. She calmly and casually walked over to my drink and snack station to grab a juice and bag of chips. “Geez, fighting tires you like you gave blood.”
I snickered against my own will. “Why are you like this? I can’t believe you know that girl’s baby daddy!” I walked to my seat and sat down. “Bitch, did you really fuck that girl’s man?”
She popped a potato chip into her mouth. “Girl, hell no! I don’t even know that man. While I was on my way over here, I called Taelyn and told her to pull that girl’s file. Jacquees just sounds like the type of fuck boy with a big schlong and a silver bullet, rose tongue.”
My brows knitted together. “First, never say schlong again. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk about words that sound stupid. Next, why did you say all that?”
“I needed to provoke her to attack me first. Y’all got cameras, so if she called dem boys on me, I was defending myself.” She used her pinky to point to her cheek. “You see that bruise? I’m so damn traumatized.”
There was no bruise on her brown skin. She opened her juice, then took a sip. “Ma’am, may I remind you that you are a whole dentist. You can’t just go around fighting people.”
Her hand flew up to her chest. “I was attacked, Lark. You were there. All I did was simply let her know that she had a prize, and she manically attacked me. What is the world coming to?”
“What I’m not about to do is play with your crazy ass,” I said through my laughter.
There was a light knock on the door before it was opened. Chance walked in with a smile. He walked over to me, leaned down, then passionately kissed my lips. “She’s gone,” he confirmed after he straightened his back. “Jacobia, you straight? I can’t believe she attacked you.”
My eyes bugged out. “Really, Chance? Both of y’all are hell. I swear.”
Jacobia shrugged her shoulders before she adjusted herself in her seat to better face Chance. “Sir, can I spend some time with my best friend tonight? I promise to have her back to you tomorrow.”
He shook his head with a laugh. “Yeah, I guess I could let you do that. I’m supposed to get up with Joston tonight.” His head tilted. “I guess you have the time to spend since my cousin climbed out of you.”
“Na-ah, don’t mind my business, sir.” She stood up. “Come on. Your boss boo said that you can take half the day to support your traumatized best friend. Girls’ night at the house.”
Now I shook my head. Chance didn’t have anything else on his calendar for the day, and I’d finished all the reporting for the month. I looked up from my seat. “May I leave early, boss boo?”
His hand grabbed mine to pull me out of my seat and into his arms. With his arms wrapped around me, he smacked my ass. “Have fun. Do you have my card?”
A month after our first date, he added me as an authorized user on his credit card. I told him that I didn’t need it. Cobia told me to stop blocking my blessings, so I took it. The only time that I used it was times like this when he said something about it. “Yes, baby, I have the card. We’re staying in though. I won’t need it.”
“Alright. If y’all go somewhere use the card, Lark,” he demanded. With a final kiss, he left me and Cobia to it.
I was excited about our girls’ night. It had been a while since we’d had one. She’d been busy with her practice and Joston. I’d been busy with Chance.
Right as I turned off my computer, my phone dinged. I glanced down to see the preview of a text message from the last person I expected to ever text me. I picked my phone up and opened the text.
Derrick:
Hey Lark. I know it’s been a while. I heard that you moved to Charleston, SC. I’m in town and would like to see you if that’s alright. No pressure. I just really wanted to apologize for how I treated you.
I stared blankly at the text. When Jacobia asked what was wrong, I just handed her my phone to read the text. It took her less than thirty seconds to read it. Her face was tight, matching the corner of her eyes. “Bitch, I wish you would.”
* * *
A FEW DAYS LATER…
A bitch did. I didn’t answer Derrick’s text the first night. Jacobia and I had our girls’ night with little conversation about him. All Jacobia said was that she would kick my ass if I met with him. I told myself that I wouldn’t. He texted me the next day three times and I buckled. This was a man that I spent umpteen years with. I felt like he owed me an apology.
He suggested that we meet at Ruth’s Chris, and I was fine with that. I went back and forth about telling Chance but decided against it. It was a simple dinner of apology. Nothing more, nothing less. Chance had a late meeting that didn’t start until seven and wasn’t slated to end until nine. Derrick and I were meeting at seven thirty.
I thought that I would be the first person to get here by arriving fifteen minutes early. Silly me forgot that Derrick lived his life under the premise that to be early was to be on time. He was already seated when I announced my arrival to the hostess. When he came into view, I admired his appearance. One thing that Derrick wasn’t was unattractive. He wasn’t Chance fine, but he was fine.
“Hey, Lark. Wow, you look amazing,” he greeted. When he came closer and opened his arms, I put my hands up to stop him. He simpered, then said, “Alright, I deserve that. How about we just sit down, talk, and eat?”
I nodded my head up and down with a grin. “That we can do.”
He pulled my seat out, and I sat down. By the time I set my clutch on the table, the waitress was there asking for our drink orders. I didn’t plan to stay long enough to eat a full dinner. My goal was to get my apology and leave. Derrick and I sat there in an awkward silence until the drinks came.
“So, how have you been doing, Lark?” he finally asked after we both took sips of our drinks.
I gaped at him for a beat. “I’ve actually been great. Things have been amazing for me here.” There was no need to go into detail. That was giving him too much. “How have you been?”
He put his head down for a second before he tittered. “Life has been teaching me valuable lessons if I have to say. Life has a way of humbling you.”
Now I was intrigued. “I guess I can agree with you. What lessons have you learned that were humbling?” I may not have wanted to let him into my business, but I damn sure was going to be all up and through his.
“Well, it taught me to not take the people that I love and who truly love me for granted. To not throw people away like trash because I think there’s no further need for them or that I found a better new thing.” His head swayed from side to side. He locked eyes with me, then said, “It taught me that the grass is not greener on the other side.”
A man with regrets. “Sounds like things didn’t work out with you and Polly Pocket. I heard that you guys married not even two months after we broke up.”
“I did marry Natalie, and some months later, a bouncing baby boy was born.” I expected him to have a sparkle when he talked about a child that he wanted for so long. He begged me for years to have a child, but that was a no for me if we weren’t married.
The waitress came over to ask for our order. Since it seemed like I would be here a little longer than anticipated, I ordered an appetizer. “I would think that you’d be more excited about having not only your first child, but your first son. Did you make him your namesake like you always wanted?”
“I did, I did. Shortly after we had him, he fell ill. That caused us to have a lot of doctor visits.” If this man asks me for blood or an organ, I’m going to toss my appetizer on him when it comes. “In the process of all the doctor’s appointments, we had to give blood, and I got a big surprise. DJ wasn’t mine.”
Fuck boy, say what? There was no way he just said the woman that he threw me on my ass for was pregnant with another man’s baby. “Oh, wow! I would say that I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m not. That’s what your stupid ass gets.” My shoulders lifted to kiss my ears before I took a sip of my drink.
“I deserved that too. I convinced myself that I’d fallen out of love with you, so I told myself if I just had a little fling that it would revitalize my love for you. Things just got out of hand,” he said.
My brows dipped. “That’s the stupidest shit that I’ve ever heard. You thought having a fling would revitalize our love. Derrick, if you felt like a link was coming loose, why not just talk to me? We’d been together for too long for you not to feel comfortable to come to me so we can work on a plan to get back to us.”
“Fuck, I know, Lark! I was on some stupid shit. I married Natalie because I thought I loved her, and she was having my baby. I’d asked you to have my child for years. You gave me your stipulations to do so, but instead of hearing you and making you my wife, I fucked up. I should have married you.” He let out a deep huff.
Men were idiots, I swear. This man threw everything away for a confusing feeling. Now he was here wanting to apologize because he realized he’d messed up. He only realized that he messed up because things didn’t pan out like he thought they would. Had they, his ass probably wouldn’t be sitting here. With all those thoughts, any apology he did have for me would be disingenuous.
“Damn, if you should have married my woman, then why didn’t you, playboy?”
My eyes closed to the sound of Chance’s voice behind me. That was what the hell I got for semi sneaking. His ass was supposed to be in a meeting. I slowly shifted in my seat so that I could look up. One look at the scowl that rested on his face had me turn my ass right back around. Oh, he’s not happy at all.