Ryland
“If you agree with everything, sign and I’ll get these to Kesmond to get his signature.”
“They’re gonna let you do it like that?” I asked, knowing that officially we were all supposed to be in the same room, signing these documents along with a witness.
At this point, with the chaos surrounding the reason I had one of the best deals in the league, I was willing to bet Sovoya called the shots to get this contract finalized however she wanted.
“I told Kesmond there was no need to waste your time with another useless meeting. I also mentioned that your convenience was the priority. Keeping you happy was in their best interests. He agreed, and once your signature is on the contract, he will be summoned to make sure his is delivered to finalize everything.”
“You’re making him come to you?” I smirked and she shrugged.
“My time is also valuable.”
“You’re gangster, Sov. I’m just glad you’re on someone else’s ass and not mine right now.”
“You’ve been uncharacteristically agreeable lately, which I appreciate. Let’s not mess that up.”
“I don’t plan on it.” My eyes not so discreetly shifted to Somee sitting on the sofa with her phone propped against a glass vase of flowers on the table in front of her.
She was on a video call with her girl, discussing plans for Marlee to visit, which I knew because I had been half ass paying attention to Sovoya.
It was hard not to pay attention to the woman who, as of late, was attached to every thought that moved through my mind. If I was thinking about breakfast, it was breakfast with Somee or making sure I had her favorite foods on the menu and that nasty ass green chalk drink she loved.
If I was thinking about football, she was right there in my head while I worked out how to make our daily moves cohesive so that she and Rylee were still a priority.
Every thought went back to Somee because a thought was a direct link to my future, which was exactly what I needed her to be.
That woman had me so wide open I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull my life together.
“I’m assuming this is serious then.”
“What you mean?”
“I literally could have written into your contract that you were to pay me half of your performance bonuses and you wouldn’t have known. Your attention has barely been on me or this contract, which by the way is very much career suicide. You better be glad I’m ethical.”
I smirked. “I know what I signed.”
“Do you?” She arched a brow and my eyes lowered to the stack of papers sitting in front of me. Shit, did I?
“Yeah, man. I read it.” A hand moved slowly over my head as I slouched lower in my chair, grinning in amusement. “And yes, it’s serious.”
“Good, I like her and she’s good for you.
Having Somee and Rylee as your accountability makes my job so much easier and peaceful.
It’s been three months since we’ve had a viral moment or a sighting of any body parts live on social media.
I’m pretty sure the lack of scandal Van and I are having to deal with is accredited to their presence in your life. ”
It was.
“How you know they’re my accountability?”
“Until they showed up, you had no reason to grow up. The women in your life are holding you accountable for your actions. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but the result is what happens when you have something or someone to lose.”
She had a point. My career was always solid, and before this trade talk, I never feared losing it.
Being a Shark was the only thing of value I felt responsible for.
My heart was never attached to anything else.
Now that Rylee and Somee were in my life, I was attached like a motherfucker.
Fear of losing either of them would damn sure keep me moving right and conscious of my actions.
I had also been so distracted with everything going on in my life lately that I hadn’t had time to fuck up nor did I have the desire to.
“How are you doing?”
And there it is. The reminder that with all the good things in my life, there was still bullshit lingering in the background.
“I’m good.”
“Are you? Because if not I can send a list of—”
I frowned hard, knowing exactly where this was going.
She wanted me to see a therapist.
Omiri had been through a lot dealing with his feelings of being responsible for his brother’s death.
Although Makari gave him a reason to exist in a lighter space, he was still finding his footing emotionally.
Sovoya and Makari both agreed that he needed to see someone and surprisingly he gave very little pushback and had been seeing a therapist for the past year.
“I don’t need that, Sov. I promise I’m good.
I appreciate you pushing me to handle the arrangements with Felicia.
I needed closure and to accept that there were things I would never understand about the woman who had given me life.
Regardless of how she disappointed me, the burden is hers and not for me to carry.
Shit, I hadn’t realized I was carrying it until I was forced to acknowledge those feelings.
Before all this I pushed that shit down deep and pretended it didn’t matter.
I get that it’s okay for me to acknowledge that wanting her love doesn’t make me weak or inadequate as a man. ”
Sovoya grinned. “You sure you’re not already seeing someone? That sounded a bit too insightful for you.”
“I might not always make the best decisions and be a little reckless with my actions at times, but I’m very self-aware, Sov.
I was also a double major in economics and political science and graduated in the top two percent of my class, so I know a few things.
Why are you trying to play me like I have no depth? ”
“I mean, when you spend the majority of your adult life functioning like a manchild, what else do you expect me to think?”
“Bruh, fuck you.” I laughed. “But real shit, I can’t even take credit for most of that. It’s all Somee. She’s been giving me the space to be a man. Owning my emotions and being accountable for how I handle them is a huge part of that.”
“She’s a keeper. Do not mess this up. In fact, I’m going to make some amendments to your contract. She stays or I go.”
“I told you I’m gonna act right.”
“And I hope you can stay committed to do so, but just in case, I’m adding a contingency in your contract that having her and my services is a package deal. No Somee, no representation.”
“Man, you’re tripping.”
“I’m a businesswoman making sure my client doesn’t cause me more grief than necessary.”
I lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Fuck it, do what you need to. She’s not going anywhere.”
I wasn’t coming up off Somee for anything.
“You thought I needed your permission?” Her manicured brow lifted slowly. “Somee is going to bring me peace and keep me from catching a murder charge where you’re concerned.”
Hell, me too. She was officially my peace.
“We good or you need me for anything else?”
“Nope, you’re free to move about the cabin.”
I grinned as she reached forward, securing the contract and sliding it into a folder. “That move about the cabin thing was lame as fuck, but you got it.”
Sovoya was onto her next client before my ass left the chair.
I made my way to Somee who was no longer on a call, swiping through Skroll and pausing on an article about my situation at Tranquil Breeze.
When she noticed me standing over her, Somee’s eyes lifted at the same time that she tilted the phone toward me with one hand, signing “wow” with the other.
“It was consensual,” I signed with a shrug. “I’m all done, lunch?”
“Starving, yes.” She stood and arched her back to stretch before she tucked her phone inside her purse which she then draped across her body.
Sovoya waved to Somee on our way to the door which she returned before giving me shit. “I’m sure it was consensual but you were sleeping with your massage therapists.”
“Their idea, not mine, and who was I to deny them the ability to provide exceptional customer service.”
Her eyes rolled hard and I chuckled as we left the building heading to my truck. When we reached the Range, I hit the locks, but pinned Somee between my body and the passenger door instead of letting her inside right away.
I dipped my head so my face hovered over hers. “I’m a new man. That was the old me. The only happy endings I want are the ones you’re willing to provide.”
I stole a kiss and pulled her into me and out of the way so I could open the door waiting while she climbed in. “Do you have a taste for anything?”
“Nope, you pick.”
“Bet.”
We made the drive to Nawlins, which served Creole food that rivaled some of the most well-known establishments in Louisiana.
A hostess provided a booth near the back left corner of the restaurant where the seating allowed us a bit of privacy even though there were still a few customers at booths near us.
It was easy to block them out with the woman seated across from me. The vibe was chill with dim lighting, framed pictures of New Orleans’ French Quarter on the walls, and tables repurposed from weathered wood. An old school R&B soul station was playing, muffling the conversations of others nearby.
Somee hadn’t been sure what to order, so I took the liberty of handling the task and the table was completely full with more than either of us could finish in one sitting. That was saying a lot because I never met a meal I didn’t like.
I ordered Cajun jambalaya for Somee while I had crawfish etouffee.
I added two platters, a Swamp and Bayou because it had blackened alligator which Somee wanted to try.
The first half of our meal was comfortable, with very little conversation until we cleared half the food on the table and Somee had downed two Creole cocktails made with rye whisky and had her eyes low.
She was currently sipping a Café Br?lot, grinning, cute as hell. She was tipsy.
“Have you ever been to New Orleans?” she signed lazily.
“Football, so yeah.”