Chapter 4
FOUR
SINCERE
When I watched them drag the crazy woman I now knew to be Kenedi Mathis out of the office a few days ago, I couldn’t help but admire the spunk in her.
I was pissed that she was showing her ass in my office, but intrigued at the same time.
I admired her either y’all are going to let me in the door, or I’m knocking that bitch down mentality.
I knew that she was going to be a beast to work with if someone gave her the chance.
Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t going to be the one.
I didn’t have to look into her to know that she was trouble. That, added with the fact that seeing her do all of that crazy shit caused my dick to brick up, let me know that I needed to stay far the fuck away from her.
“Why are you asking for all of this if you’ve already made the decision that she’s not worth the trouble?” Beverly asked as she handed me the file on Kenedi.
“Since when did you start questioning me? I’m the boss around here. If I ask you for something, the only thing you need to do is ensure that I have it when I need it.”
“Fine,” she said, handing me the papers and walking out of my office.
For the most part, I’d never had an issue with Beverly.
She did her job, went home, and that was it.
But something about Kenedi didn’t sit right with her, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the fuck it could possibly be.
As far as I knew, they didn’t know each other and had never worked together, so why she was so hell-bent on me not hiring her was a mystery to me.
The PR position literally had nothing to do with her, so it wouldn’t affect her or her job in any way, so all her attitude was unwarranted.
As I combed through the papers, I looked at credential after credential. It was a shame that she’d really let a fuck nigga like Raymond Daniels fuck up her career. Because if she were as good as her resume made her seem, she would’ve become a PR legend.
Going through some of the issues, or scandals as I liked to call them, that she’d worked on, I knew she was exactly who I needed on the team.
Not only was she good at cleaning up shit, but she was also a master at generating buzz around her clients, which was exactly what the artists signed to Hilltop Records needed.
While she didn’t have experience in the music industry, I had no doubt that she’d be able to work her magic over here.
For the rest of the day, I reviewed her file and found myself going back and forth about what I wanted to do with her.
The little devil on my left shoulder was telling me not to take the risk that came with bringing her on board for more reasons than one.
But the little devil on my right was saying to take a chance on her and see where things could go.
If I took that chance, I would just have to ensure that I kept things with us on a professional level and didn’t let my attraction for her get in the way of business and my money.
Deciding to go with my gut, I called my lawyer and had him draft up a contract for her.
After telling him the key things I needed him to include, I got back to work and decided I would personally drop it off to her.
I had no doubt that she would say yes to working with us because she really didn’t have any other options.
However, if things worked out for her, whether she stayed here or not, I’d make sure she could get a job anywhere she wanted.
But if she was as good as I believed she could be, I had a feeling that the package I was willing to offer her would make her want to stay here.
Once I had the package ready, I went over to where I found out she was staying.
I wasn’t surprised to hear that she’d lost her high-rise apartment due to losing her job and nobody wanting to give her a chance.
But after some digging, I found out that she was now staying with her parents and that I could find her there.
I didn’t know how she was going to act with me popping up at her door, and I didn't care. I knew she’d answer once I told her who I was and what I was there for.
“I can’t believe you really popped up at that girl’s door like that,” my homeboy, Johari, said as we sat in my office. I had decided to swing back by here before I headed out for the rest of the evening.
“Shit, I needed the help, and she needed a job, so it was a win-win for both of us. Besides, you know I’ve never been afraid to go after what the fuck I wanted,” I said, shrugging.
“Yeah, but you know bitches be carrying these days. You’re lucky she didn’t shoot your ass, bruh,” he replied, laughing.
“I wish her ass would’ve tried some stupid shit like that,” I said, laughing too.
Since I went over there earlier, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.
I already knew I was playing a dangerous game with hiring her, but shit, my entire life I’d taken nothing but risks to get to where I was, so I figured why stop now.
Besides, the worst thing that could happen was that she was amazing at her job and something nice to look at around the office.
I was really hoping that she took heed to my warning and was spending the rest of her evening reviewing the contract.
I had some very specific things in there that she needed to ensure she was okay with because once she signed it, there was no turning back.
I spent about another half hour chatting it up with Johari before telling him I needed to head out to meet Logan’s crazy ass for a late dinner.
After clowning me about how I was just as crazy as she was for continuing to deal with her, I kicked him out of my office and made my way to the restaurant.
His ass was one to talk about dealing with someone crazy.
His wife, Marissa, was as crazy as they could possibly get.
However, I guessed that if anyone would know a crazy woman, his ass would be an expert at pointing that shit out.
As I pulled up to the restaurant, I prayed that Logan wasn’t on her bullshit because I still wasn’t in the mood for whatever the fuck she was on the other day.
I hadn’t talked to her since I’d kicked her out of my house, and that was truly her last straw when it came to doing shit that pissed me off.
If she did some stupid shit like that again, then I would be cutting my losses and moving the fuck around.
I knew we weren’t going to be together forever anyway, so there was really no reason for us to be stressing each other out.
“Can I help you, sir?” The waitress asked as I walked inside the lobby.
“Yeah, I’m meeting my friend here. We should have a reservation under Logan Peters,” I said, scanning the restaurant to see if I was able to locate Logan.
As the waitress gently brushed my arm, she let me know that she’d show me to the table.
From the way that Logan eyed the bitch as though she was going to kick her ass when she got off work, she must’ve seen her touching me.
I didn’t care about the shit, though. She wasn’t my type, so there was really nothing for her to worry about.
I dated women from all races, although when I settled down, it would be with a black woman.
And, I needed my woman to be on her shit about her business, and I could tell that the waitress was definitely neither of those things.
“How was your day, babe?” Logan asked once the waitress sat the menu down and said she’d be back with my water.
“It was good, eventful, but good. How was yours?” I asked, trying not to laugh at her trying to be possessive by calling me babe. We never did that shit before, but whatever.
“Great. Now that I’m the lead publicist, I have so many more responsibilities, and I’ve been really enjoying my new office.
However, I don’t want to get too comfortable because I know that soon you’re going to come to your senses and let me come over to Hilltop Records and help you with your PR,” she said, winking and taking a sip of her wine.
As she looked to me for a response, I wasn’t sure if I should tell her now or later about the fact that I’d hired someone for the job.
I was really hoping that with the new position she’d recently gotten, she would’ve been happy with that, and left me the hell alone about coming to work for me.
I wasn’t sure where she worked because I’d never cared enough to ask, but I knew it was a big agency and that she should’ve been happy there.
But it didn’t matter what they gave her or what they paid her because until she felt like she could be under me and watch me all day, she would never be happy.
“I actually hired someone for the position today,” I said, sipping the water the waitress had placed down as Logan looked as though she was about to flip the entire table over.
“What do you mean you hired someone for the position, Sincere? I thought you were going to give me the position! We have talked about it numerous times, so I’m not understanding.”
“Yeah, and I’ve shut that shit down each time,” I said, shrugging.
“No, the fuck you haven’t! Why do you keep shitting on me the way that you do?
I have been nothing but a good girlfriend to you, and every time I turn around, you give me your ass to kiss.
Like, make it make sense for me, Sincere!
You already know that I’m qualified for the position, so what’s the real reason why you won’t hire me? ”
“Because we don’t need to work that close. The shit never works out, and you know it. And, I also just don’t want you working under me,” I said, honestly, although I knew she didn’t want my honesty.