Chapter 4 #7
Cool and direct. That seemed to be Frequency’s persona.
Unlike his friend, Ledge, who was a hothead with zero impulse fucking control.
I wondered what Frequency was like when he did get mad.
Wasn’t no nigga that fucking zen. I was sure there was a beast waiting inside his chest that, when unleashed, could wreak some serious havoc.
I finished what was left in my glass and crossed one leg over the other.
My upper thigh and curvy calves were exposed for him to see.
He didn’t flinch in his chair, but something sparked behind his hidden gaze.
Was he interested in me? I was twenty-one years old, and his demeanor told me that he was older, but his appearance argued against it.
Nah, I had to be tripping. I had seen the girl that he rolled up in here with.
We were nothing alike. Unless his tastes varied, there wasn’t anything appealing about me to a man like him.
He was grown and had probably been with many women.
I was still a virgin that knew nothing about pleasing a man sexually.
“What does that mean? It’s up to me?” I shot back.
“Would you like a refill?” he offered.
“Why not?” I stood, and this time, I walked over to him.
“I made a mistake,” Frequency revealed, pouring into my glass.
Raising both brows, I accepted my drink and backed away.
“The way that I brought you here, how I’ve handled everything.” His apology was starting to sound like a Segway into a request from me.
“So you fucked up, and now you need my help?” I asked, tilting the glass to my mouth.
I watched him over the rim as I inhaled the alcohol.
“You give me what I need, don’t bring attention to my operation, and you get a cut of what’s brought in,” he voiced.
I can’t lie; my curiosity was piqued as I paced barefoot in front of him. The alcohol officially had me buzzing.
“A cut? What I want is some freedom. To see the outside of this room when I want. Can you make that happen?” I tested him.
“We have to build this relationship off trust first,” Frequency conveyed.
“Pssh, trust.” I chuckled and shook my head. “So you want me to just forget that you snatched me up? Is that what this means? We let bygones be bygones?” I suggested, sarcasm dripping from my tone.
“What other options you got at this point?” He was so relaxed and suave while canvassing me.
I lowered myself back into the mattress.
“You prove to me that you can do this job without drawing any unwanted attention, and you get to walk away and live your life. This is your turning point. So you decide.”
“What do I have to do?”
“I’m starting a business. I need a face. Someone to represent the brand.”
“And you think that face is mine?” Stunned, I could barely swallow what he was saying.
The glare behind his eyes told me everything that I needed. He was, in fact, with the shit, and somehow, the plan made sense to him. He was a man that was used to getting what he wanted. It was all in the arrogant aura that he carried with him. I was just another obstacle for him.
“How is that even going to work? For the last year, everyone thought I was missing. I just pop up on the scene with a brand-new career?”
“We can work around the details. You do this, and you get all the freedom you ever imagined with a bank account full of money to match.” He was convincing.
The amount of confidence that he had in me was actually pretty refreshing.
He didn’t even know me that long, and believed in my skills wholeheartedly.
Some people might call me crazy, but I envisioned the entire life in front of me like a flash.
Anything outside of this room was appealing to me.
Going home wasn’t a decision that was giving me comfort like it had when I was first brought there.
My own life, for me, under my terms. That was what I wanted now more than anything.
“OK, so what do we do? Where do we start?” I questioned.
With an elbow on his chair, and his hand propping one side of his head up, he continued to examine me carefully. His index finger fell above his top lip, and he held me under an intense stare.
“Tomorrow. I have a few things to take care of. My daughter has to also get enrolled for school. I’m taking her shopping.
We’ll do the same for you. You have to look the part.
Start thinking of all the ways you are going to sell yourself.
Don’t be shy, Harbor. All that fierce shit you use on me, apply it,” he urged, pulling himself to his feet and reaching for the Hennessy.
“Try to get some rest. We’ll leave out around ten a.m.”
Just like that, he was gone. The door opened and closed.
I sank into the mattress and slid onto my back.
Eyes to the ceiling, I thought about what I’d just agreed to.
He was right about one thing: I needed sleep.
I hit shuffle on the iPod and let the music fill the space while I lay there.
Ariana Grande’s soft but sultry voice filled the room.
You’re making me forget my past, never thought I’d feel like that again
I came to peace with my path, now you got me off track.