Chapter 39
Sade
“The man I was supposed to avoid became the first man I ever truly let in.”
Ihad been back to work for eight days, and I was trying to get back on track and act as normal as I could. Vanessa was in place for Vaughn. Denise and Laila had been doing their thing. We all were on track and on schedule, but all I could think about was Vaughn and what we did.
I thought I would die a damn virgin and be a damn cat lady like my friends once said. But after Vaughn did my body the way he did, it had me thinking differently. Had me wanting more.
But I knew he had a lot on his plate. I wanted him to be well mentally. I wanted us to finish this project, and I still had Marcus. I knew things were going nowhere with us other than good company, so I was going to let him down easy as time went by.
Now I just had to stay strong around Vaughn and let him become the man I knew he wanted to be before I started forcing relationships on him.
At that moment, I was startled by a deep voice and a hand on the small of my back.
“You smell good, ma.”
I turned quickly.
It was Vaughn.
I smiled. “You’re back?”
He smirked. “Yup… better than ever.”
I naturally started fixing the collar of his shirt, then took off his shades. His eyes were white, not tired, well rested, and his face was clear.
“You been smoking?”
“Nope… I’ve been keeping my word.”
“I’m happy for you. Everyone went to lunch. I stayed back, going over the furniture order.”
“Hard-working ass. Come with me to my office before everybody comes back. I got a meeting for staff in forty minutes. I need you and your crew to sit in.”
“Okay.”
We walked to his office together. He went inside and closed and locked it.
My eyes went straight to his desk.
This man had three big shopping bags from Chanel and a bouquet of gold and red roses from A Million Roses.
“For you. Just to show you a nigga care bout you for real.” He handed me one of the bags.
I went through the bags. New season Chanel bags, shoes, slides, belts, and other accessories.
I blushed. “You didn’t have to do this, boy.”
“I did.”
“You didn’t.”
“Well, I did, so accept it. You mine in secret, I guess, so I’ma shower you… work girlfriend.”
I laughed and pulled him in for a hug. “Thank you… work boyfriend.”
“I ain’t gon’ play these games for long though.”
I sighed. “I know. For now, just take care of you.”
He kissed my lips. “I will.”
Someone started knocking on the door.
“I’ll take my stuff to the car, and I’ll see you in the meeting.”
“A’ight.”
I grabbed everything and started heading to the door, but he stopped me.
“Drop that nigga, Sade.”
I glared at him. “I need time.”
He didn’t say anything.
When I opened the door, Denise and Laila were standing there smiling, already nosy as hell, but not saying anything. Denise walked in, and Laila and I walked off.
“Oh, my God. You definitely not telling me something.”
“And I won’t be telling you anything. Now help me take this to the car.” I handed her the roses.
“You’re so sneaky. But whatever it is, I’m here for it.”
I laughed. “I bet you are.”
After dropping the gifts in my trunk, Laila and I headed back upstairs for the meeting.
The conference room was already filling up by the time we walked in. Contractors, assistants, property managers, marketing people, vendors. Everybody was seated around the long glass table, talking.
Vaughn wasn’t in there yet.
“Damn,” Laila whispered beside me. “This looks serious.”
“It probably is.”
We sat down toward the middle while Denise passed out folders and bottled waters.
About two minutes later, the room got quiet on its own when Vaughn walked in.
He had changed into black tailored slacks, a lack button-up, and his chain was tucked in now. No shades.
Healthy.
I noticed how much the room shifted when he entered it. Conversations stopped automatically. People sat straighter. Even older businessmen looked up, waiting for him to speak.
He walked to the head of the table and looked around slowly before speaking.
“Everybody good?”
A few people answered.
“Nah,” he said. “I need better energy than that. We’re building luxury over here, not Section 8.”
That made the room laugh instantly.
I smiled to myself.
He started the meeting without notes.
That impressed me.
Everything rolled off his tongue naturally. Budget projections, move-in goals, marketing timelines, and property expansion ideas. He moved through the conversation sharp as hell, correcting people without embarrassing them and making decisions fast.
“Ain’t no more delays,” he told one contractor firmly. “If materials are late again, I’m replacing the whole crew.”
“Yes, sir.”
He looked toward marketing next.
“I want Crown Heights looking untouchable online before opening day. We’re selling aspiration before keys even touch hands.”
Everybody was writing fast, trying to keep up with him.
I sat there quietly admiring him.
Not just because he looked good.
He looked alive again.
At one point, his eyes found mine across the table and held for a second too long before he continued talking like nothing happened.
That little moment alone almost made me blush.
“Bennett Interiors,” he finally said, looking toward me directly now, “still ahead of schedule?”
I cleared my throat quickly. “Of course.”
He smirked. “That’s why y’all here.”
Laila kicked my foot under the table immediately.
I ignored her.
The meeting kept going for another hour, but honestly, I barely heard half of it after that.
All I could think was: Vaughn St. Clair was finally coming back to life.