Chapter 74
Daniel
The conference call ended a few minutes ago. The rest of the staff have left the room. I stayed behind, making a few notes, recapping and highlighting areas of contention that might need a deep dive to uncover any rooted issues that could surprise us, and potentially throw us into a frenzy.
The door opens and my cousin Aaron makes a casual stroll in. I know he’s still not keen on having me here in Chicago, and he’s probably planning my leave in three months. I haven’t told him yet that I’ll be staying for good. Like, permanently.
“So, there’s a music lady in your office, and all the young associates are ready to do just about anything to work whatever case she’s here to see you about,” he states, with an annoying grin on his face. One that I know as his tell when he’s attempting to rope me into some mischief.
“What lady?” My tone is firm. I’m not in the mood for his usual guessing games.
“I don’t know, but the guys are having a freakish hard-on about working with her.”
“I have no clue what you’re talking about, and I’m not picking anyone until I speak to this lady,” I firmly state. Aaron’s style is based on who can kiss his ass the most, not who’s most qualified or dedicated to working the case.
“Fine, let’s head to your office.”
I pack up and we both head towards my office. I can see the guys ready to follow but my ‘don’t fuck with me face’ keeps some of them away.
“See what I’m talking about?” Aaron whispers.
“Do you know who the lady is?” I question.
“One of the eager beavers mentioned her stage name is MAK. I have no idea who she is, but they seem to think highly of her,” he says just as another of the eager beaver jumps right into the conversation.
“I would really like to meet her and work on her case,” the eager beaver slash ass kisser says quickly.
I stop in my stride.
“MAK is here?” I question and Aaron shrugs like he has no idea.
My face breaks into a smile. My love. My wife. The mother to my unborn child. I feel like I’m floating on air.
“She’s not here for business,” I say, moving faster towards my office.
“You know who she is then,” Aaron says next to me.
“Of course, I know who she is, and I’m certain she’s not here for business,” I answer casually.
“How could you possibly know she’s not here for business? She could have a huge contract deal on the table for us.”
“I know because she’s my wife,” I answer and hear the gasp of Aaron and the ass kisser.
I get to my office in time to see Anu laughing with Patrick. She turns to me and smiles.
“Mi amor,” she says, getting to her feet. I pull her into a hug.
“This is a nice surprise.” My arm wraps possessively around her waist.
“I made your favorite, and Jacob is coming over later today. I didn’t want him to eat it all. You know he would devour it all just to poke you.” I chuckle.
“That little monster,” I say, as I hear a clear throat behind me.
Anu and I turn to face Aaron.
“Aaron, my wife, Anu Wyler. AKA MAK. And, Anu, this is my cousin, Aaron.” Anu is all smiles and Aaron eyes are wide, with high as Eiffel tower raised brows. The ass kisser is reaching out to take Anu’s hand as Aaron stands, bewildered.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs Wyler. I’m Roman.” He jumps in.
“Nice to meet you. Please, call me MAK.”
“Certainly. I saw you at the pre-release party of Cole A’s last album.”
“Cool. That was a fun night.” She smiles
“Yes, it was amazing watching you play the drums that night. Truly spectacular, and I love the beat of most of that album. I still have the closing act you did with Cole’ A on my phone and I promise, I didn’t post it.” He grins at her, clearly a fan of hers.
“Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed the party and the beats in the album.” A smile from her is always guaranteed when it comes to her work. “Fun facts, my husband is the crazy guy Cole A was talking about that night.” Roman smiles.
“Would you mind signing an autograph for me?” he asks.
“I’m no super star; I’m a behind the scenes person. The real star is Cole A, and I can get him to sign something for you”
“I would prefer your autograph,” Roman says.
Yep, he’s a fan of my wife. Adding you to my watch list.
“Okay,” she responds with a smile, and he’s fast in producing a pen and notepad. I watch her make it out to him and sign MAK in her signature style.
“Thank you very much.” he shakes her hand again and leaves, just as Aaron turns to me.
“Are you messing with me about a possible Mrs Wyler?” Aaron asks.
“I can attest that he’s not messing with you,” Anu answers. “He sorta twisted my arm into marrying him last Friday. If you have a way to get our marriage annulled, I’m all ears,” Anu says to him with a wink at me.
Now Aaron is staring at me, perplexed.
“She’s joking. She was a happy bride, and I didn’t twist her arm. I just didn’t give room for any answer other than a yes.” I smile, kissing my wife, who looks happy messing with my cousin. “Don’t do that to him; he doesn’t know you yet,” I say to her.
She puts her hand out to Aaron.
“Nice to meet you, Aaron. I’m Makayla Anu Wyler, Daniel’s wife,” she enunciates. Aaron takes her hand. “You cousin has messed up my brand name MAK” she jokes
“Sorry, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact Daniel is married.”
“No worries, I’m still wrapping my head around it too,” she’s happy. Aaron smiles and drops her hand. She turns to me. “I need to get going, just wanted to drop this for you.” She taps the Tupperware. “I’ll see you at home tonight,” she says.
“Are you heading back home right now?”
“Not yet, I have lunch with Nkem and a class after. Then, I head home.”
“Alright, call me when you are heading home.”
“Can’t promise, but I’ll try.”
I pull her to me.
“Promise, Mrs Wyler.” It feels good calling her Mrs Wyler.
“Fine, I promise, since you called me Mrs Wyler.” She pouts.
I kiss her cheek and she leaves, waving to Patrick and Aaron. I take the Tupperware and head into my office. Aaron is right on my heels.
“For real? No prank, no punk, no gimmick. You are married?” he questions again with bulging eyes.
“How many times do I have to say it? Yes, I’m married to MAK.” Setting my laptop, files and Tupperware down, I take out my phone and play one of the clips of our quick wedding. His mouth falls open, and he drops into a seat.
“I’m beyond shocked that you, Daniel Raymond Wyler, is married.” Great, now he’s using my full name. “And let alone to her. I always took you for a blonde and boobs guys.”
He raises a brow, like he just let me in on a secret and I must be on some spell to be married to a complete opposite of blond and boobs. I chuckle with a knowing smile. Turns out I’m actually a sexy booty man
“Well, she is worth the switch, trust me. I didn’t see her coming.”
“I’ll bet.” He pauses for a beat before his face shrivels up. “How did you guys meet? Because I still can’t picture you two standing together on the same side of the road and one of you asking for a date, let alone getting married.”
“She’s Cara’s music teacher; that’s how we met.” He relaxes like that’s the only possible explanation for me meeting MAK and marrying her. Never mind that we are destined and at some point, in my circle of friends, I would have met her. At least, that’s what I believe.
“Is she as good as the guys were saying about her?” Whoa, a quick change of tune.
“Yes, I believe she’s very good.” I proudly reply.
“Nice. Does she have a sister?” Where the fuck did that come from? My scowl is immediate.
“No, she has a much older brother, and he’s engaged, should you be thinking of switching sides.” He laughs.
“Damn!” he lets out. “Okay. A cute friend then?” He’s fucking kidding me, right? He’s worse than I am when it comes to boobs and blondes. Now he’s asking about dating a black woman.
“No, not letting you anywhere near her friends.” I can already imagine Nkem rolling her eyes at him.
“Come on, we share blood.”
“And that’s all we will be sharing. Don’t go getting stupid ideas,” I warn.
“Guess what? You and I are going to be hanging out a lot, starting today.” He smirks.
“Fuck no. You do you, and stay away from me.”
“You wish,” he mocks.
I was happy to have Anu visit, but it seems her visit has turned Aaron into a stupid super fan that wants to hang out with me.
That mind of his is probably thinking there’s some insider connection that he’s not let in on, and he intends to fight to get in.
Wait until he learns Luke and Declan are also married to women with beautiful ebony skin.
“I need to get back to work, and I’m sure you have something important to do, now that we’ve confirmed MAK didn’t bring us some business deal,” I state to change the subject.
“Fine. can I have some of whatever she brought for you?” My frown is immediate.
“I don’t share this, and you should have guessed is why she brought me some. We have a twelve-year-old neighbor that loves to eat everything she makes for me.”
“Come on, dude. I’m not leaving until you share whatever it is that she brought for you.”
“You don’t even know what it is.” I scowl at him.
“If you can eat it, I can too. Why are you acting childish about sharing a piece?”
“Because I don’t want you to taste it and keep coming over for more, like Jacob.” He scoffs at me.
“Just give me one and I will leave. Or I can stay here all day while all my important work is waiting. We both know how much you love stuff being behind schedule.” I exhale my annoyance at him. He knows just what to say to get my attention.
“Fine, help yourself to just one,” I say, opening the Tupperware. Anu has the patties labeled and divided into beef and chicken. I like them both and I can’t tell Aaron which one to pick. “Beef or chicken?” I ask, turning to him.
“Can I have one of each?” I frown at him.
“You have no idea how they taste, and no idea if you would like it, now you want one of each? How about we cut each one in half and, if you like it, you can have the whole? I don’t want you to waste it. My wife would be mad at me.” I stress the word wife.
“She expected you to share is why she made you a dozen of each. So quit whining about waste and share the pastry.” How the fuck did he count it that fast? And he’s right; she probably thought I would share it. She should have known better that I’m not in the habit of sharing what’s mine.
“Fuck you, Aaron.”
“Right back at you, cuz,” he says, grabbing one of each before I can say more.
He takes a big bite of the chicken in his right hand. The crusty crumbs fall as he closes his eyes to savor the warm moist chicken filling.
“Damn, this is good,” he says, taking a bite of the beef quickly and I watch as his eyes widen. “Fuck, no wonder you didn’t want to share. This is some good stuff.”
I watch him take a bit of each, like he can’t decide which one to finish first, getting crumbs all over my desk as he eats fast, grabbing the other halves and finishing them.
“I know, asshole,” I retort. “Can you go away now and clean up your mess while you are at it?”
“Fuck no. I need one more of each, if you want me to leave,” he hastily responds.
“No way in hell is that happening.” I put the Tupperware away. I know my brothers will be happy when I show up at the corner with the pastries.
“Come on, man. I know you warned me but for real please, just one more” he pleads stressing the please.
“No, that’s why I warned you about tasting it.”
“It’s your wife’s fault for bringing something this good for just you. Where can I buy some?” His tone is unrelenting.
“No idea where you can find one; I can ask. But you are not getting any more of my share,” I firmly state.
“Just one, I don’t care which one,” he says, like I’ve agreed to bargain with him.
Noticing my stern face, he shrugs.
“I just might call my dad to let him know you got married and didn’t invite our side of the family.
Imagine how well my parents will take that.
” His tone is fierce with a game face, and I can tell he’s going to make that fucking call.
Mother fucker is about to cause a family rift over my wife’s beef and chicken patties.
I can almost see his mom making a big deal of something that neither adds nor takes away from her.
The only problem is my dad will not hear the last of it.
Plus, it doesn’t help that my dad was at the wedding.
My aunt will exhume all buried stuff just to make a point.
She wouldn’t believe that it was a quick wedding. In her mind, everything is intentional.
“Take one of each, and take your skinny ass out of my office,” I snap at him.
“You are far too kind,” he mocks. “But just out of curiosity, why didn’t you invite us to your wedding?” he asks as I debate if I should just tell him. I figure it’s best I let him know.
“I proposed to her in New York and got married within twenty-four hours. Like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t give her any chance to think long and hard about it.
My sisters were not there, just my dad and my friend, Adam.
” I lie, if I mention Maggie he would overreact.
“Her parents weren’t there either. So, now do you see why stirring up shit would be a bad idea? ” He shrugs again.
“Well, if you had just shared the delicious pastry with me, we wouldn’t be analyzing who you did or didn’t invite to your quick wedding.
” He raises his brow, like it should sink in that it was all my fault for him trying to stir up some bullshit.
“By the way, did you knock her up? Is that the reason for the shotgun wedding?”
“Fuck you, Aaron! Shut the door behind you. I didn’t have a shotgun wedding.
I just wanted to marry her the moment she said yes.
” No way am I telling this guy, how badly I wanted to marry Anu, and how freaked out I was when she left town and didn’t answer my phone calls.
No, he’s not hearing about her pregnancy either.
“So, she’s pregnant. And when should we be expecting to meet the new Wyler?”
“Out! Before I take my pastries back.”
“Fine! I’m leaving and, please, tell my new cousin-in law that I’ll be stopping for more of these delicious pastries.”
“That would be a no. Now, get the fuck out and keep your mouth shut about my wife.” I snap. He’s really hitting my last nerves.
“My lips are sealed, as long as you share the pastries.” I don’t say another word as I watch him close the door. But few seconds later, he pops his back in. “She wouldn’t, by any chance, be the woman Spencer wanted to go on a date with?”
“She is the one.” He nods
“Now I get why you were so angry and willing to lose millions,” he says, closing the door.
I chuckle to myself and bring the Tupperware.
Now, I can enjoy my wife’s pastry and get back to work.
Hopefully, I have shut down any talks about our baby.
Which I’m both happy and scared shitless about.
I can’t lose Anu. This pregnancy isn’t going to be easy for her. I do believe that we will pull through.