CHAPTER 21
“Capri, I’m okay. Stop talking about what could’ve happened. I’m good.”
“You’re not good. You’re all bruised up.”
“Capri—it’s just a bruise. Nothing hurts.”
I didn’t want to talk to her on Facetime because I didn’t want her to see the bruises on my face, but she insisted. She said she needed to see me. That was the only way for her to know I was okay.
“Ooh…this makes me so angry. My God…what is this world coming to? Why can’t women live in peace? Everywhere we go, we’re always being stalked, whistled at, or stared at. You can’t even be safe at work anymore!”
“Capri—can we talk about something other than this? What about your engagement? We haven’t had a chance to celebrate or talk about it. Where’s the ring? Let me see that rock.”
She holds her left hand in front of the camera. “Oh my goodness, girl. It’s beautiful. Look at Dorian trying to make a statement.”
“Yeah. I think he loooooves me,” she says and bats her eyelashes. “Oh, hey, Myra. I’ll call you back later. I have to jump on a call.”
“Okay. Bye.”
I hang up the phone and see that I have missed text messages. One is from Nykendy:
Girl, yo man came up in here looking for you. smiley face emoji
There’s another one from my mother:
Hey, Myra. Hope you’re feeling well, baby. I met Axel today. He seems nice…handsome, too!
My stomach flips. How is it that he’s met my mother? Really?
I place my phone on the counter and grab a bottle of water. Zander comes to the kitchen and asks, “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Like I’m ready to be let out of prison. You can’t keep me here forever, Zander.”
“Says who?” he asks, crossing his arms. “You’re my responsibility.”
“No, I’m not. I’m a grown woman.”
“Yeah, a single grown woman. I’m the man who protects you.”
I breathe out frustration and say, “You’re trippin’ hard.”
“Am I? Look what happened when I let my guard down.”
“Oh, so you’re going to follow me around like a shadow now to make sure I’m safe and sound?”
“Yes, if that’s what it takes.”
“Zander, you taught me how to defend myself.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think it would ever come to this.”
I open the refrigerator, take a bottle of water, and then close it back. “Ugh…I need to get out of here,” I mumble under my breath.
“What you say?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I say, “Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I head for the living room or any room where he isn’t, but before I can even exit the kitchen, he says, “Oh, by the way, did Mother text you?”
“Yeah.”
“What did she say?”
“That she met Axel.”
“Well, she texted me to let me know that he was heading this way to see you. Any reason for that?”
I can think of many. I tell him, “He probably just wants to check on me and give me a property update or something.”
“Yeah…the same way he was checking on you at The Promenade? Jeremiah told me all about it. I should’ve pulled up.”
“And did what, exactly? Confront a guy because I’m out with him?”
“Do I need to be concerned about this cat, Myra?”
I sigh audibly. “No. No, Zander. Is everybody a suspect now?”
“Yeah. Absolutely! You were attacked.”
“And Axel was the one who saved me! Can you at least give him some credit for that?”
The doorbell sounds. Zander says, “That must be your savior .”
My savior.
I love my brother dearly, but he knows how to work my very last available nerve. He has that overprotective big brother syndrome, and he needs to lose it. It’s highly annoying.
He opens the door and asks, “What up? How can I help you?”
And then I hear Axel’s voice. “Hi. I stopped by to check on Zimyra. I’ve been trying to call and text her. I haven’t been able to reach her.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to be reached. Have you considered that as a possibility?”
“I did, actually. That still doesn’t mean I can’t make an effort, does it?”
I step in front of Zander and say, “Hey, Axel. Please excuse my brother.”
Zander walks away, giving me a little privacy. Still, for good measure, I step outside to join Axel on the porch and close the door behind me.
“I’ve been trying to reach you. Are you good?”
I see worry and concern in his eyes as he looks at me. I really didn’t want to see him – not while I’m still bruised up. It’s embarrassing. And I don’t know why I feel this way, but I have this nagging feeling that this is somehow my fault. I’m the na?ve ‘little girl’ my brothers think I am. For all I know, Axel thinks the same thing.
I say, “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“What happened when you got to the hospital? Did everything check out okay?”
“Yes.”
“Did they do the X-ray?”
“Yes. I have no fractures. They just told me to apply a cold compress to my face. It was swollen yesterday, but it’s gone down substantially.”
He reaches to touch the bruise on my face. I move so he can’t. I don’t want to be touched. I just don’t.
I say, “But I’m fine. There’s no need for you to be worried about me.”
He frowns slightly like I’ve offended him somehow.
I say, “I’ll be back at the office on Friday.”
“No, you won’t. It’s too soon.”
“It’s not. I told you—I’m fine. If I didn’t think I could do it, I wouldn’t. My tenants are looking forward to this paint and sip, and that’s what they’re going to get.”
He shakes his head. “I think you’re making a mistake.”
“And I think you need to let me do my job.”
“Zimyra—”
“I expect to see you at work on Friday.”
He sighs heavily, making his disappointment apparent. “Understood. In the meantime, if you need me, I’m here.”
“I appreciate that.”
He turns and heads down the stairs. I go back inside and get my laptop. After signing into a secure VPN, I access my company email. Getting back into work mode will take my mind off this.
I check the first email. It’s from corporate:
Dear Ms. St. Claire:
We are deeply saddened to hear about your ordeal at Atlantic Properties. We take the safety of our employees very seriously. To that end, we would like for you to take as much time as you need to recuperate. Also, we will be hiring an assistant in the office so tours can be conducted safely and efficiently with two people instead of one. In addition, we will also hire security to monitor the campus. If you have any further input regarding these measures, or if you have any suggestions, feel free to reach out to us.
Thank you,
Peter Bayne
CEO, Leverage Realty Group
I move on to the next email:
Dear Ms. St. Claire:
We are pleased to announce that you have been approved for a one-time performance bonus of $4,000. This will be in your next paycheck. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to this role.
Thank you,
Human Resources
And here’s another one:
Dear Ms. St. Claire:
Recently, you put in an inquiry to request a system update for maintenance requests. I am happy to inform you that we are in the process of updating the website to roll this program out before the end of the year. With the new system, tenants will be able to log on to Atlantic’s website and submit maintenance requests directly to the office. You will have the ability to pull reports, close or re-open cases, and mark them in order of urgency. We hope that this new tool will prove beneficial to the operations at this location and others.
If you have any questions or feedback, do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Thank you,
Tech Support
I close my laptop and digest all of this. What the actual—
“What’s up?”
I glance up at Zander. I was so engrossed in these emails, I didn’t hear him come into the room. I say, “I just checked my work email. Not only are they giving me a $4,000 bonus, but they’re making a system update that I had requested when I first got hired.”
“They’re probably scared you’re going to sue.”
“No, that’s not it. I checked the emails and they came through before I was attacked. That’s weird.”
“Well, count it as a blessing. I mean, who couldn’t use an extra four thousand?”
“True,” I say, but something doesn’t feel right about this. I put that maintenance request in and it was denied the same day. I hadn’t heard anything further about it and now, all of a sudden, I’m supposed to believe the universe has spun something in my favor and is making things happen for me?
That’s absurd.
I’m a realist. I don’t believe in that law of attraction nonsense. I believe in hard work and effort. Maybe this company is finally realizing my value and that’s fine and all, but as soon as I get my certification, I’m starting my own company – a company where my success will depend solely on me. One where I make the rules without having to request anything from anyone.