Charisma
“MORNING.”
I pushed a stray coil of hair out of my face to get a better look at the man standing in front of me. Nathaniel Chisholm-Love was all man and I was sure he and every woman that ran across him knew it.
Intimately, if my guess was correct.
I’d spent a few hours after I’d gotten home researching who the hell this man was and to say his resume was impressive was an understatement. He wasn’t a rodeo athlete; he was the rodeo athlete and people were clamoring for him to get back to the circuit after being hurt last year.
His dark, nut brown skin had the glow of a man who didn’t take himself too seriously and despite how much I assumed he worked in the sun I couldn’t find the normal ill-effects of consistent exposure on him.
His long hair, which I had somehow missed, was in a single braid that had fallen over his shoulder, the only disruption of his pristine white t-shirt.
His denims were snug on his hips but loose enough for him to move around in and he wore a different pair of boots than he’d had on last night He cleared his throat and I realized I’d been silently observing him and hadn’t spoken back.
My smile was tight, the time of day overriding my need to make a good impression. “Sorry, not a morning person. Good morning.”
He did that same dip of his head before he rocked back slightly on his heels. Nathaniel looked almost impatient for a moment before he finally said something again. “Not to be rude but you gonna invite me in?”
My manners were apparently still in the uncomfortable ass bed I hadn’t gotten used to sleeping on. And thanks to the man in front of me I wouldn’t have to. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I’m really thrown off this morning.”
“Working in a whorehouse will do that to you.”
He smiled as I took a step back to let him in and I felt the warmth of embarrassment spread across my face. As he crossed the threshold of the motel room I was staying in, he took the hat off his head and held it in his hands as I shut the door.
“Yeah, let’s forget that I was even in that place.”
“So you’re not going back?”
His words held something. A weight or a challenge or a hope that he hadn’t been mistaken about me and my character. That his goodwill and good deeds hadn’t been spent on someone who would run back to the chaos of last night like a fiend needing a hit.
My hands went into the back pocket of my shorts as I shook my head.
My hair hadn’t been picked out to max volume today so it barely moved in my peripheral.
“I can’t. If something were to happen and the police came to shut them down, I’d be caught in the middle.
I’m trying to survive not publicly embarrass my family.
Besides, I’m all for women having autonomy but I didn’t want to be in a place like that.
It made me feel sad for them and I hate that feeling. ”
“Because you pity them?” A twitch of his hat brim in his hands as he toyed with it but studied me.
“No. Because even if a woman engages in sex work I doubt that is the type of place they would go if it was her first choice.”
And that was the truth. Maybe there was some additional level of security or comfort they found in finding clients through the bar but I couldn’t imagine it was much.
Maybe growing up and hearing about the ills of prostitution and how horribly women are treated had me jaded.
But thinking of working the bar and then working in a back room didn’t sound appealing. Or profitable. Or safe.
Yeah, definitely not my type of career path.
“From what I’ve seen they aren’t too bad; the women are taken care of.”
My head cocked to one side and I was wondering if Mr. Chisholm-Love was in fact a piece of shit after all. “And you know this how…?”
His hands flew up, and that debonair smile was back on his face. “Not from firsthand experience, I assure you.”
I hummed noncommittally because it wasn’t really my business what he did or how he did it.
Would I look at him funny? Of course. He didn’t seem the type to need to pay for sex so my mind went directly to him having some type of weird predilections that would prevent him for exploring whatever kinks he had with his partner.
And again, none of this was my business.
The silence stretched awkwardly because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. It dawned on me that I’d let him into my room without really knowing who the hell he was. I was thankful for how he’d stepped in with the man getting handsy but a hero one day becomes a villain the next.
Maybe you are too na?ve for a city this big, Charisma.
“I know you said you were going to come back by, but what is it that I can do for you?” Should’ve been the first thing I asked him when he walked in the door but I didn’t get a sense of foreboding or warning when I was around him.
“I figured since I pulled you out of that place last night you would probably be looking for work.”
I ran a hand down my face thinking of my savings and the fact that I would be paying this week’s rent out of it.
I’d hoped that after a few weeks I could’ve found myself somewhere to live since I would be bringing in steady money.
I was trying to be responsible and see how much I was pulling in before I signed a lease.
“Umm, yeah I am. I was trying to get out of this room within the next few weeks but none of the other places I applied to called me back before the bar. I wasn’t about to starve or tuck tail and run home so I took it. Probably won’t even get paid for last night.”
“For what it’s worth I’ll cover whatever you lost.”
“And why is that?”
“Because I’m the reason you missed out on money.” He spoke so simply as though his help should’ve been a foregone conclusion.
“Well, technically, it being a whorehouse and me being a fool is the reason.”
We both smiled and Lord above I needed to focus on something else besides how I wanted to ride this man’s face.
“Not a fool. Trusting. There’s nothing wrong with that but I’m sure your mind was telling you to get out of there before you even saw me.”
He was right because I had ignored my intuition.
“Maybe.”
“Not maybe. I can tell that you’re a nice girl and had no idea ‘bout the shit they were into but you don’t strike me as a fool.”
“Thank you?”
He nodded his confirmation that he was in fact being kind. “It’s a compliment. Next time, don’t let money be the only motivation for what you look for in a job.”
I could only nod back because after I’d gotten done berating myself all night that was my last thought before I went to sleep. “Noted. Was the lecture what you came here for? Because it could’ve been a text, Mr. Chisholm-Love.”
He cringed like hearing his last name spoken in that way offended his delicate sensibilities. “Don’t do that. Makes me sound like you’re talking to my daddy or my brother. I’m not like either of them.”
“Is that a bad thing?” Complex family issues were the one thing I swore I would never involve myself in. My partner had to be from the type of family I was or else — He’s not your partner or even interviewing for the position, Charisma.
Noted.
“Nope. Two of the best men I know but I’m a lot more fun.” That heartbreaking smile had the audacity to be accompanied by a wink and I needed to get him out of my orbit asap.
“And again, you stopped by for…?” I waved around the small studio space where every inch of the room could be seen.
The still unmade bed, my laundry hamper with the clothes I’d tossed off last night still hanging over the side.
The space was small and relatively clean although I’d gone through and cleaned everything else myself again when I got here.
“Since I’m the reason you lost your job, I came to offer you one.”
This wasn’t at all what I thought he was going to say. I blinked, waiting on him to crack that smile but when his face remained the same I needed more information. “A job?”
“Yes.”
I was mildly confused but then I had to wonder what he thought I was going to do for him. Or for the kindness he’d given me. “Doing what?”
His hands went up again and he took a step back like this was a stickup. “Nah, don’t say it like that, darlin’, I ain’t on that type of time and I for damn sure ain’t that kind of man. I’m trying to right a wrong even if it was the best thing for you.”
“And you presume to know that after meeting me one time?” He was highhanded. I could tell that from last night. But I never thought he would be in my house trying to tell me what was best for me.
Nathaniel did that assessing look of his, like he wanted to ensure his assessment was correct before he gave it.
“I can tell a lot about a person based on how they carry themselves. You gave off a sweet vibe and I doubt I’m wrong.
But a sweet girl in the middle of some starved muthafuckas ain’t safe. ”
He was right but I still wasn’t going to be taken in with some sweet words. I’d already done enough stupid things in the last twenty-four hours, which meant the universe wasn’t going to give me anymore passes. “And what is it that you want me to do for you?”
The look on my face had to be something serious because he took another step back.
“Nothing like where I’m sure your mind is trying to carry you.
I have a farm and I do a lot of scheduling and booking for my business.
But I have been doing it by myself with word of mouth and things for so long, I need help. ”
“Help how?”
“Can you answer phones and send invoices?”
“Well, yeah, that’s fairly simple.” I’d volunteered in our home church to help with things like that and in school my on-campus job had been to assist in recruiting efforts from alumni. I’d been damn good at it, too. At least until the scandal forced me to quit.
“Then you can start when you’re ready. The pay is $25/hr. I know it’s somewhat low—”
“Low?” I was surprised because the minimum wage in Texas was low as hell. I mean it was the south so I wasn’t surprised at all. But for him to say it like he thought he was robbing me blind was something.