Chapter 11
L
oyal pulled up to the construction site of the new hotel his team was building downtown.
He was glad the sun was shining. Michigan winters were rough, and the temperatures had dropped into the negative, which had shut his project down for a few days.
They were back up and running, which meant money was flowing.
His project manager handed him a helmet as soon as he stepped out of his Cybertruck.
“Thanks, man. My potnah, Cass, should be pulling up any minute. You got those site plans drawn out for me on the new lounge?” Loyal asked.
“Yes, sir,” the man said, holding up a long cardboard cylinder that contained the architectural designs.
“Perfect,” Loyal said, taking the designs. “You ready for the company Christmas party?” Loyal asked.
“Yeah, the wife is real excited about it. It’s the only time we get to dress up and go out on the town,” the man answered. Loyal smiled and patted the man on the shoulder.
“It’ll be a good time,” Loyal stated. “Look forward to seeing her tomorrow. I’ll be in my trailer. Send Cass in when he arrives.”
Loyal kept his stride as he looked down at his phone.
He had called Ellie once since the basketball game, and she hadn’t answered.
He didn’t know if he should read that as disinterest or not, but he knew that the burden to return the call was on her.
He didn’t have these types of problems. Women didn’t normally make him wait.
She had said she was only in town for a week.
Perhaps her schedule was too busy to squeeze him in.
He knew she had a lot going on, so he wasn’t tripping, but he hoped to see her before she left town.
He Didn’t know what it was about this woman, but he hadn’t stopped thinking about her.
He had hoped to invite her to his company party, but instead, he opted for his child’s mother.
He couldn’t show up alone, and Ellie was MIA.
The knock at the door caused him to glance up as one of the construction workers stepped inside.
“Mr. Brier, I don’t mean to pop up on you or nothing, but I was wondering if I could get a minute of your time,” the man said. “I’m James.”
“Yeah, man, have a seat,” Loyal stated. He walked around the desk and sat down. “What can I do for you, my man?”
“I’ve been working for the company for a while, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m wondering if there’s room for another general foreman.”
“You want a promotion?” Loyal asked.
“Yeah, my girl she just had a baby and she’s not working.
I’m not union, so I don’t have the insurance package.
I got some shit going on, man. I need benefits.
I’m trying to get some help, but I can’t afford the sessions out of pocket, but the benefit package for the general foreman will allow me to get what I need,” James explained.
Loyal hadn’t been paying much attention at first because he didn’t need another foreman, but when James’s voice cracked, Loyal tuned in. It took a lot for a grown man to swallow his pride and ask for help.
“Sessions,” Loyal repeated. “Like, mental health session?” he asked.
James took his hard hat off and held it between his shaky hands. He was visibly upset. Loyal noticed his red eyes and the weathered look on the man’s face.
“I lost my son four years ago. Feels like my mind been going slowly ever since. My girl is fed up. She took my son and moved out. Said if I don’t get some help for my anger, she wasn’t coming back,” James said.
Loyal was shocked at the level of honesty.
“I know it’s a long shot, but I just need to catch a break,” James stated. “I’ll even keep my same pay, but if you can throw in the benefits, man…” James cleared his throat again and pinched the bridge of his nose to compose himself.
“There’s no shame in asking for work,” Loyal said. James’s struggle hit home. “I wish more men would have the courage to do what you just did.” His own father struggled with mental health issues, so Loyal understood. The second knock at the door signaled Cassidy’s arrival.
“Stick around, man. I’ma see what I can do. I might have an opportunity for you,” Loyal said.
Cassidy entered the trailer, and Loyal stood to greet him.
“My nigga, welcome,” Loyal stated as they embraced like gangsters.
“What you doing here, man?” Cassidy asked as he took a seat beside James.
“I work here,” James stated.
“Small world,” Cassidy replied. “You doing a’ight?”
“Making it,” James stated.
There was some tension in the air, and Loyal sat back to read the room.
“How y’all know each other?” Loyal asked.
“My sister is best friends with his girl,” Cassidy stated.
Loyal identified the conflict immediately. “Got it,” Loyal stated. “Well, woman business aside, we need a foreman on the building of the new lounge. How you feel about James heading that up?”
“I ain’t got no problems with that,” Cassidy stated. “Unless that’s a problem for you?” Cassidy asked, leaning onto his knees, and turning his head to the side to make eye contact with James.
“Better pay, benefits, vacation time,” Loyal listed off. “Shouldn’t be no issues.”
“Nah, man, I’m cool. Grateful for the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you both,” James said.
“Go see H.R., and we’ll start making the transition effective immediately.
New benefits will be active January 1st,” Loyal informed.
James had renewed energy as he got up from the chair.
Cassidy sat back and kicked out one leg as James headed for the door.
“Yo, man, the company Christmas party is tomorrow. Get a suit, get your girl a dress, and invite her out. Might help you get back in her good graces.”
James nodded. “Will do. Appreciate it, man.”
James exited the office, and Loyal and Cassidy squared off.
“What’s that about?” Loyal asked.
“Too much to get into, bruh, let’s see these plans,” Cassidy stated.
Loyal took the designs out of the tube and rolled them out across his desk.
“I’m thinking expand the capacity on the second lounge and have a members’ only section on the second floor.
Create some exclusivity,” Loyal explained as he pointed to the paper and walked Cassidy through the floor plan.
“Construction should take less than four months if we can get it on schedule as soon as spring starts. We could be open by Thanksgiving next year,” Loyal stated.
“And the split?” Cassidy asked.
“60/30/10, your way,” Loyal stated. “I’m a man of my word.”
“What’s the three-way split?” Cassidy asked. “We discussed 60/40. Who’s the third entity?”
“Your sister,” Loyal stated.
Cassidy sat up in shock.
“You talked to her about this?” he asked.
“It’s her Christmas gift; I don’t need to,” Loyal informed.
“Wait,” Cassidy stated. “Nigga, what?”
“I fuck with your sister heavy, Cass. She don’t know it yet cuz she refuse to call a nigga back, but she’s going to be my wife one day,” Loyal said.
Cassidy chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, nigga, you don’t know E at all,” he snickered. “I’ma sign this shit just to see what the fuck gon’ happen. You a wild boy. Ellie is a lot of things, but she ain’t for sale. She gon’ take your head off for this one.”
“I’m not trying to buy her, bruh. That ain’t my intention. I don’t mean no disrespect,” Loyal stated.
“I don’t think you do; otherwise, we wouldn’t be signing anything. I think you need to get to know a woman you claim to want to marry. E ain’t gon’ accept this,” Cassidy stated.
“She’s still married, my nigga. You know that, right? She in the middle of some bullshit with this nigga, and you putting this much pressure on her just gon’ make her run the other way.”
“What bullshit?” Loyal asked, nose flaring slightly in irritation.
“Man, you know the shit that happened at the lounge. It’s hard on her and my niece,” Cassidy said. “Still, she’s too independent for a handout, and I know you saying it ain’t one, but that’s how she gon’ take it. You ain’t even took her out yet, bruh, slow down.”
Cassidy snickered as Loyal poured two glasses of Louis XIII.
“She leaves town soon. I only got the holidays. A nigga can only go so slow,” Loyal stated, chuckling. “How about inviting her to the Christmas party? That’s something she can say yes to without feeling like she’s selling her soul.”
“That’s a start, my nigga. A much slower start than giving her ten percent. We can put the ten in escrow for her after you’ve discussed it with her.”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Loyal stated. He held up his glass and Cassidy tapped it with his own.
“We’re going to make a lot of fucking money off this chain.
We open one a year, and follow this same floor plan, but move down I-75 into Metro Detroit.
We talking tens of millions per year. How’s that for proving niggas wrong? ”
“I ain’t really trying to prove shit to nobody at this point,” Cassidy stated. “I’m just trying to get my paper and rebuild my life, man. “I’m learning it don’t matter how much a nigga change. Once people see you at your lowest, they can only remember you there. So, I’m looking forward, not back.”
“To looking forward then,” Loyal toasted.