Double

Chapter 17

My Man. My Man. My Man. (Reprise)

Tinsley

One week after my husband introduced me to the pleasures of sex, he scheduled an appointment for me to meet up with Lyric. Instead of having her bring the selections to the house, he took me to her studio.

“I really hate that you feel like you have to miss work to chauffeur me everywhere,” I said as the two of us rode toward our destination. “I can drive, you know?”

“Nah. Before I let you wander the streets of this city by yourself again, you’re gonna need at least ten more self-defense lessons.”

“Ten!” I practically shrieked. “I’ve already had ten. How long does it take to teach somebody to defend themselves?”

“You haven’t had ten lessons.”

“I have.”

He took his eyes off the road for a second to glance over at me. “You’ve had like . . . two and a possible.”

“There’s no way.”

“There is a way, when every time I start a lesson, you interrupt it by dropping to your knees and sucking my dick.”

“Your dick is the one asking for trouble with the way he’s always trying to bulge out of those compression shorts you like to wear. Besides, I thought you liked that.”

“Quit playing with me. You know I love that shit. It is distracting, though. When you finish, we never go back to the lesson. I start fuckin’ on you, and the next thing you know, we’re wakin’ up.”

I had to laugh because that was exactly how the last few lessons had gone.

“At this point, I’mma have to book you some lessons with Charity. All you’re learnin’ with me is how to take this dick like a champ.”

I pushed his shoulder lightly. “Shut up.” I also had to be honest, though. “But yes, you should set something up with Charity because I don’t remember one thing you supposedly taught me.”

It was his turn to laugh as we pulled into a parking space in front of Lyric’s studio.

It was one of the businesses on the four-block stretch that Double’s family owned.

Double came around the truck, opened my door, and helped me out of the vehicle.

Then we walked hand in hand up to the establishment.

The lock on the front door was released, and we stepped inside.

I wasn’t sure what I expected it to look like.

I had never been fancy enough to visit an actual stylist’s studio.

Though my family was moderately wealthy, I always bought off the rack.

My father never spent big money on me. The space was gorgeous and put me in the mind of a bridal boutique.

The large, open room was bright and airy, decorated in light wood, ivory, and touches of gold.

The furniture in the room was overstuffed and comfortable.

The tabletops were marble and showcased vases running over with abundant floral arrangements.

The space smelled like a mixture of palo santo and creamy vanilla.

It was lovely. Along two of the four walls were clothing racks filled with cocktail dresses in every style and color.

Lyric rushed across the room toward us. “Hey.” She hugged Double first then embraced me. “Hey y’all.”

We returned her greeting.

“Okay. Let’s sit and talk about what we’re thinking for this ball.” She waved a hand in Double’s direction. “You know, we’re not the part of the family that goes to all these fancy galas and stuff. I don’t know much about it. He just told me that you needed a dress.”

We followed her to a corner of the room where she had it set up like a living room.

Lyric took a seat in the armchair, while Double and I sat side by side on the loveseat across from her.

His hand immediately went to my thigh. He did that so frequently that I didn’t even notice it was there until I followed the line of Lyric’s gaze. I smirked to myself.

“Okay,” she said with a grin. “I’m presuming you’ve worn a cocktail dress before, Tinsley.”

“I have.” I nodded my agreement.

“What style do you like? Sleeveless? Spaghetti straps? Strapless? Cap sleeves? It’s a spring event, so I’m guessing you don’t want long sleeves.”

“No, but no strapless, either.” I palmed my own breasts. “I would prefer to have these as supported as possible, so probably . . . cap sleeves. And I love a sweetheart neckline.”

“Okay.” She took down notes. “And what colors do you like? With your creamy, peachy undertones, I see you in sage or maybe even coral.”

I glanced over at my husband. “Double didn’t tell you that I’m supposed to wear white? Everybody’s wearing white. It’s called The Petals and Pearls Affair. The dress code is white, cream, or ivory.”

“Sorry.” Double shrugged his shoulders. “My bad. I forgot to tell you that.”

She sucked her teeth. “That would’ve been important to know, Jinx. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m a skilled stylist, and that I read undertones. I pulled some ivory dresses because I already knew ivory would look bomb with your skin tone.”

“Yes!” I told her, tapping my pointer finger to my thumb the way she taught me to when something was “tea.”

Lyric laughed. “Double, I’mma need you to go. Your wife and I have work to do, so I need you to go on down the street to the office and do some work of your own. I’ll call you when she’s ready to go.”

“I don’t like leaving her by herself.”

“She’s not by herself. I’m here, and it’s just the two of us. She’s safe. Go.”

He reached out his hand to me, and I took it. Then the two of us walked back over to the door. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

“Give me a kiss.”

I leaned in, my lips gently brushing against his before he captured my mouth, his tongue mingling with mine.

When he released me, I just stood at the door and watched him head back to his truck.

The same thought that had been on repeat in my mind for the last two weeks reverberated through it once again. My man. My man. My man.

Later that night, Double and I were invited to his grandparents’ house for dinner to discuss the upcoming fundraiser.

His grandparents planned to use the event as an opportunity to formally introduce Double as the new Executive Director of the foundation and me as the new Director of Philanthropy.

Of course, his grandparents would remain involved, taking less visible seats on the board.

They would remain available to advise Double and me as needed because the positions they were vacating were a huge deal to the foundation.

Double and I were the last to arrive at the Hill home. Once we were all present, Aunt Lynne and Mr. Hill led us to their formal dining room, where the table was set with more silverware, plates, and glasses than I had ever seen.

“I see what time it is,” Mr. Waters said, taking in the setup. “This must be for Double’s benefit.”

“Aww hell,” Double muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, this is for that grandson of mine that never took the time to learn what I tried to teach him,” Mr. Hill gave his grandson the eye.

“You know that’s not true, old man. I took every lesson you ever taught me to heart.” He thumped himself on the chest. “I just couldn’t find it in myself to give a damn about no special forks and spoons.”

I kept my chuckle to myself.

“And now you’re gonna have to cram to learn because you can’t embarrass me at the gala.” Mr. Hill turned to me. “Tinsley, I know your family was considered part of the upper class on the island. I’m gonna presume you’re good with this type of thing.”

“Well,” I hedged. “My father didn’t take me to the state dinners he regularly attended with members of Parliament, but he did send me to finishing school.

Having a quick crash course will be good for jogging my memory.

I feel like since I haven’t used those skills in a long while, I could stand to brush up on them. ”

“Same,” Mama Passion agreed.

The chef came into the room, pushing a serving cart filled with soup bowls. “Roasted tomato and basil bisque,” he said as he delivered the first bowl to Aunt Lynne and the second to Mr. Hill.

“Let’s bless the food,” Lynne told us once everybody had been served.

We blessed the food, then I picked up my soup spoon, being sure to discreetly get my husband’s attention so he could see which one of the two on the table to use. He squeezed my thigh under the table, and I smiled to myself. Just this man’s touch brought light into my heart.

“Tinsley,” Mr. Hill said.

I quickly wiped the smile from my face and looked up from my bowl of soup. Double’s hand remained on my thigh, though. “Yes?”

“It’s been a little over a month that you’ve been with us. I reached out to Judge Bosco to find out where things were with havin’ your inheritance released, and he informed me of an issue.”

My face fell. “Oh no. I heard that Gretchen’s in jail and that Mr. Gillespie has assumed control of the paper company. Is he messing with my money as well?”

“No, it’s not that. There is paperwork that has to be signed. Bosco was hoping you could sign it electronically or that he could sign it for you by proxy, but the judge over your father’s estate is going by the book. He needs to see you, in person, before he’ll agree to release the funds.”

The soup was delicious—fresh, and well-seasoned. Tomato soup was one of my favorites, but I could no longer enjoy it. “This judge expects me to go back to Iredia to sign the paperwork?”

“Hell nah!” Double’s voice was harsh.

“Double,” Mama Passion began softly.

“Nah. I’m not lettin’ my wife go back to Iredia.”

“Letting me?”

He turned to face me, his hand still resting on my leg. “I didn’t mean it like that, Sweetheart. I didn’t mean that it’s my decision, and my choice is no.”

I was pretty confident that he hadn’t meant it the way it came out. Still, after having been controlled by a man who thought he knew better than I did what was best for my life, I had to have clarification.

“What I meant,” he continued, “is that I don’t like the idea of you going back there. It ain’t safe for you, which means it ain’t safe for nobody that tries you on that island.” He looked across the table at his grandfather. “If something happens to my wife, somebody’s dyin’.”

“Please. Nobody should be dying,” I told him.

He didn’t respond, but the look he gave me said everything that needed to be said.

I looked at Mr. Hill and switched the subject. “Would Judge Bosco be willing to forward the paperwork here?”

“Right,” Mama Passion seconded. “Maybe she can have it notarized up here and send it back.”

Mr. Hill shook his head. “He’s demanding to see her in person . . . with her Iredian-issued identification in hand. That’s the only way he’ll agree to release the funds.”

“So, if I don’t go back, then what? The money just . . . sits there? I don’t understand.”

“If you don’t go back, Granddaughter, the money will sit there for a period of twenty years. After that, it will become the property of the island of Iredia.”

“How much is the inheritance? I’ll drop that money in your bank account tomorrow morning after I move some stuff around.” Double’s light-brown eyes blazed with something I’d never seen in them.

Shortly after I’d arrived in America, he had presented me with the debit card to a bank account he’d had set up for me and funded. He had also given me several credit cards attached to his accounts for my use.

“Fuck that inheritance.”

“Double!” Mama Passion seemed surprised by his words.

He stood from the table. “Gimme a second.” He paused, seeming to remember that this was supposed to be like a dry run of the upcoming event. “Excuse me.” He walked away from the table.

Mr. Hill watched him go silently.

Mr. Waters took his napkin from his lap, sighed, and started to stand. “Let me talk to him.”

“No.” I quickly stood from my chair. “No. Let me talk to him.”

Mr. Waters looked dubious.

“Let his woman talk to him, Jinx. Sometimes, only your woman has the words you need to hear.”

Mr. Waters retook his seat while I moved away from mine.

I didn’t know Mr. Hill and Lynne’s house at all.

Still, when I landed in the kitchen, the chef gestured toward a door that looked like it led to a patio.

I stepped out onto an oversized deck. Double stood at the railing, looking out at a pond in the distance.

“Double.”

When he heard my voice, he turned toward me and motioned for me to come to him.

I did, and he caught me in his arms, placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“I know,” he said before I even had a chance to speak.

“That’s your money, and you gotta go get it.

Me replacing your money with my money probably ain’t what you want. ”

“Honestly, that’s not even what I care about. I don’t want you having to come out of pocket to replace money that my father died making.” I looked up at him.

“I don’t care about comin’ outta pocket. What I care about is you going back to Iredia. Until that Gillespie nigga is dead, you aren’t safe on that island.”

I shook my head, getting pissed off at the thoughts in my mind.

“That island. My damn island,” I said. “I was born and raised on that island. I played on that island, . . . swam, laughed, and learned there. I graduated university on that island and even started a business on that island with my best friend. Now, I can’t contact her, because she’s under surveillance.

I can’t go see a lawyer about my own inheritance on my own home island.

How can I not be safe there? Why would my own aunt put me in this position?

” I started to cry. It was the first time I’d cried since my first week in America.

I was wrapped up in an embrace before the first tear made it down my face.

“Let me take you back to the house, Sweetheart.” Double’s voice was soft and soothing. More often than not, the husband I married to avoid the husband I was supposed to marry knew exactly the right thing to say to me.