5. Blake #3
The music seemed to mute in my ears as we stared at each other. It was a few beats before she broke her stare. “Blake, don’t make me have to be the one to tell him. I know you will think I’m wrong, but I will do anything that will help your healing. I think Scotty knowing will do just that.”
I closed my eyes. She was right, but the same remained. I wasn’t ready.
This Business is Personal . . .
I could kiss Seneca for his proactive thinking. He had Scotty go on a business trip that took him out of town yesterday. They wouldn’t arrive until late morning.
That was perfect because I needed all my privacy last night.
Travis Marlin Collins would have been eight years old today.
I imagined that he would have been a Transformers fan or Spiderman.
That would have been the theme of his birthday party that I more than likely would have spent more money planning than I should have.
Oh, he would have been so smart and had so many friends to attend.
That was why I was so affected by the death of the other Travis. He shared the name of my son. In some way, I must have transferred my motherly affection into him . . . as if he could have replaced my baby boy.
Last night, I slept on the king-sized bed that was in my son’s bedroom.
I just wanted to be alone in the depths of my despair.
When I woke up this morning, I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to stay in my bed.
In a perfect world, that would have been amazing.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a perfect world.
Today, I had a new client that was referred to me by Kaycee.
That alone told me this woman more than likely would be a bitch for no reason.
The word had gotten back to me that Kaycee talked her good shit, but I wasn’t worried.
Her husband, from what I heard, countered her words when he told others that she was a spoiled brat.
It was just after one in the afternoon. Sophia Buriless was twenty minutes late for her appointment.
When she arrived with her husband, I was in the middle of a phone call.
Only when I was ready did I call Mrs. Joanne to escort them back.
Sophia’s facial expression told me that she was not pleased.
“Do you always keep your new clients waiting?”
I allowed her and her husband to sit in the seats at the table in my office. “Mrs. Buriless, you were twenty minutes late, which is five minutes past my grace period. All of that was listed on the appointment form that you completed. Taking this meeting is a courtesy.”
Oh, she didn’t like that shit at all. “Well, I never. Kaycee told me that you could be a little bitchy. I’m not sure why I even booked the appointment, even though she said that you did an amazing job, but I will not sit here and be disrespected.”
My focus bounced between her and her husband with an arched brow and a scrunched nose. I wanted to see if he would be a man with nuts, but it was clear that she ran their household and him. So disappointing.
“In no way have I been disrespectful. I simply reiterated a policy that has been in place since I began my business. Now, by all means, you can feel free to use another service. I can provide a recommendation.”
I wouldn’t address her bitchy comment. That would only escalate the situation. I wanted to remain as professional as possible. God knew that I didn’t need anything to get me out of my cool space.
Sophia’s head snapped in her husband’s direction, who was now tapping away on his phone.
Something told me that it was not his idea to be here.
Based on the intake form, she was only twelve weeks pregnant with their first child, and they had only been married for less than a year.
She noticed that the man wasn’t even zoned into the conversation at hand.
He didn’t pay attention until she stood from her seat.
“You know what? I don’t need a recommendation from a woman like you. Your recommendations are probably as ghetto as your ass. Kaycee was so right.” Her voice was elevated more than it should have been.
When the door to my office opened to Nadia and Mrs. Joanne, I knew her ass was way too loud. “Is everything alright in here? Is there anything that I can get anyone?” Nadia asked.
Sophia spun around to face them. “Yes. You can get me a woman who understands respect and how to treat new clients. I have never in my life felt so disrespected.”
Mr. Buriless cleared his throat as he stood. Oh, his bitch ass finally has something to say. “Sophia, sweetheart, I think this is being blown out of proportion. We were late because you just had to stop for that damn latte. You knew the policy because you mentioned it in the car.”
Yeah, he was frustrated, and his wife was not pleased with his response to the situation.
She scoffed, then rolled her eyes. “Go figure. My husband would take the side of a childless bitch who thought it was a good idea to start a business that centered around children. No wonder all you can do is plan for other people’s happiness. You’d probably be a horrible mother.”
Nadia and Mrs. Joanna’s gasps were loud. They both knew what today was. Mrs. Joanne was in my life when I lost my son. She knew what my family went through and was there to support us. Nadia found out shortly after she started here.
My back stiffened before I stood to my feet. My blood felt like lava. With a virulent tone, I spoke. “What the fuck did you just say to me, bitch?”
Sophia’s eyes widened like saucers. There was a hint of fear there, but not enough for her to truly feel like she was in danger. “Excuse me!”
“Nah, there’s no excuse me.” I reached inside my drawer, pulled out my gun, pulled the hammer back, walked around my desk to be closer to her, then laid it on my desk. “What the fuck did you say to me, bitch? Repeat that shit so I can send you to your maker.”
Mr. and Mrs. Buriless’s eyes bucked. You would have thought that the mister would have stepped in front of his wife to protect her. Nope! His ass not only stepped behind her, but he ducked down behind the chair. Bitch ass white boy. Scotty would never.
“Oh my God! Are you fucking crazy? It’s not that serious!” The terror was wrapped around every letter in every word.
When she lifted her phone, I smacked that shit out of her hand.
After it hit the floor, I put a bullet in the screen.
Sophia and her husband screamed like the bitches they were.
“It is that serious. See, that’s what’s wrong with you entitled bitches.
You talk your shit, then when someone calls you out on it, you don’t have shit to say. ”
Mrs. Joanne slowly walked toward me. “Blake, baby, I want you to calm down. Why don’t we just let them leave. You know how these stupid bitches get when they can’t have their way.”
That sounded like the sensible thing to do, but fuck that.
The sensible thing would have been for her to watch her damn mouth.
People didn’t know what people had been through.
I didn’t make my story widely known, but I knew that Kaycee knew because it was something that I spoke about lightly during client intake if the origin of my love for children came up.
“Mrs. Joanne, respectfully, no. This bitch ain’t leaving here until she gets the guts to say what the fuck she just said. It’s clear that her little friend didn’t tell her about my son that inspired me to start my business.” I spoke with my eyes narrowed on Sophia.
It didn’t escape me that Nadia was on her phone. I wasn’t sure who she called, but I knew it wasn’t the police. It was probably my parents. I could see Mrs. Joanne telling her to do so.
“You . . . you have a son?” Sophia’s voice quivered as she spoke. “I . . . I didn’t know that.”
I snickered quietly. “Shame on your dear friend for not telling you about my son that died because I was attacked while pregnant. See, you don’t know muthafuckas stories, but you got a loud mouth.”
“Lucas, do something,” Sophia begged. She took her eyes off me for a moment to find her husband. If they left this alive, I hoped she divorced his pussy ass. “Oh my God! You’re supposed to protect—”
I sucked my teeth. “His ass can’t protect shit. I would tell your puss-ass to go somewhere, Lucas. I can’t guarantee that you won’t call the law.”
He waved his hands from where he cowered on the ground. “I promise I won’t call anyone. Her mouth is always getting us in some shit. I’m sick of her.”
“That’s a damn shame.” I lifted my arm and pointed the gun toward the couch. “Both of y’all sit the fuck down over there.”
It took a minute or so for them to get there. They moved slowly like I would shoot them in the back. After they sat down, I took a seat across from them, then set my gun on my lap. “Now, Mrs. Bitch, say that shit again.”