4. Myheir
Doll: So… should we have our first meeting at the mall? There’s a Birkin bag with my name written all over it.
I smirked down at my phone before shaking my head. I wasn’t sure she would go for it, but I hoped she would.
Me: Maybe that can be our second date. But the first is going to be a private dinner at my place. We have a few things to go over. But that Birkin soon after.
I locked my phone and placed it on the nightstand.
I’d stayed at the office for a few more hours to appease my father, after my meeting with Khaleya.
He wanted me to take over the bank so damn bad it didn’t make any sense.
I guess when you follow the tradition of having just one son to take over the mantle, it makes retiring hard.
Especially when the only person who can take over doesn’t want it.
I don’t know why the men in my family started the trend of having just one child and one son.
A daughter hadn’t been born in the Blackwell family for the past few centuries.
It was just in our genes—Blackwell men had sons.
But something told me I wouldn’t fit the bill.
I would be the first to break every barrier they worked so hard to create. That was one thing I was sure of.
I stripped down and walked into my bathroom to brush my teeth and take a much-needed shower. When I worked at the bank, the shit took more out of me than when I was at my jewelry store. They made sure I put those damn degrees to work.
After I stepped out of the shower, I grabbed my towel from the hook outside, then wrapped it around my waist before heading back into my bedroom.
I noticed my phone lit up, so I walked over to the nightstand to check it.
A message from Khaleya was front and center, along with a few from my dad requesting my presence at his place for breakfast.
Doll: You wish. You better find a nice restaurant and book a private area or somewhere other people will be present.
I chuckled because this woman was a character. It was refreshing to be around a woman who wasn’t concerned with impressing me. She didn’t give a damn what I thought, at least that’s how she was playing it now.
Me: That defeats the purpose of us getting this contract together, Doll. You’re going to have to trust yourself alone with me at some point.
I knew that would get her to see things my way. I was having a bit too much fun with this arrangement already. It hadn’t even started yet.
Doll: Stop calling me that, what does it even mean. I would have never guessed you would be this annoying. How old are you anyway?
I shook my head and clicked her contact. I was tired of doing the back and forth through text. If she needed to interrogate me, she would have to do it over FaceTime while I got ready for bed.
I called, and her phone rang for a while, as if she wasn’t going to answer, until she finally picked up. Her forced frown was the first thing I noticed. I could see her mouth twitching to raise at the sight of me.
She wasn’t as irritated as she wanted to play like she was.
“You do know you can’t just call people on FaceTime without asking, right?”
I chuckled and placed my phone into the holder, then walked over to my dresser.
“It seemed like you had more to say, and a text just wasn’t going to do. Not to mention, I’m not a big texter.”
She shook her head. “Tsk, tsk. You’re already starting on the wrong foot.”
I chuckled. “Well, give me the Khaleya Mathers dating handbook. I’m not the kind of man who makes the same mistake twice.”
Her cheeks reddened as much as her deep mahogany tone would allow as she looked away for a moment.
“Can you put on some clothes? You do know this isn’t a Playboy or GQ magazine interview. I have no extra points for you because you don’t have any clothes on with drops of water still sliding down your body.”
I laughed and lifted a brow in her direction.
“Damn, you can see water sliding down my body. You must be staring hella hard.”
She rolled her eyes, unable to hold back her smile this time around.
“Anyway, so are you going to tell me how old you are?” she asked.
I nodded as I slipped my briefs on beneath my towel.
“I’m thirty-two, Doll. How about you?”
“I’m thirty, grandpa.”
I chuckled with a shake of my head as I applied deodorant underneath my arms.
“You ever thought of going into comedy?”
She smiled and flipped her hair dramatically.
“I can give a good keekee every now and again. But I’ll pass. Now, do you have any siblings we’re going to have to convince this is real?”
I tilted my head because she was everything I hadn’t expected. I thought she would have done her research the moment I offered her the deal. Yet here she was, asking me things she could have figured out within seconds online. That made me even more sure and confident of my choice in asking her.
“Blackwell men only have one child. So, no. It’s just me.”
Her eyes widened like she just figured out the answer to world hunger.
“Ahh, it makes so much sense now. You’re used to getting your way. You’ve never had anyone to race to the bathroom or to lock up your shit from.”
I shrugged as I dropped my towel, causing her eyes to linger on my impressive bulge in my briefs before I stepped into my basketball shorts. I’d already lotioned up, so I walked over to grab my brush to make sure my waves were still intact for me to put on my durag.
“If you say so. I’m going to assume you have a few people who you’ve had to race to the bathroom.”
“Uh—yeah. You would assume right. Those folks still give me the blues, so I know trying to convince them I have a boyfriend will be more than just a hassle—it’s going to be an act of God if they believe me. I’m known for having a different date in every city. Have you saw my social media?”
I walked over toward the phone and hopped onto my bed.
Khaleya’s social media was one of the main reasons I felt she would be perfect for the part.
It wouldn’t be a big “how did this happen” story, because she was already fairly known on social media.
If only she knew she was right on the cusp of getting everything she needed, with or without this loan.
I knew I wasn’t shit for not telling her.
But she had everything she needed already. I think having the finances was just a safety net for her to do what she had always wanted to do, which I could understand.
“I’ve seen it, which is one of the main reasons you’re perfect. You will understand clearly that no lines can or will be crossed. This is not real, and it’s a job. I see it as we’re helping each other reach the other side of the goal. Wouldn’t you agree?” I asked.
She shrugged.
“I know what I am getting out of this, but I am unclear on what you need with a fake girlfriend. You aren’t a bad-looking guy, and it seems to me that you can find any woman to be with you if you truly wanted to. Why me?”
I knew this question was coming, but I wasn’t sure how much I wanted her to know. So I decided to go with the safest response.
“I have my reasons, but know this. You’re more than qualified.
It seems like I have more work to do than you.
These folks aren’t going to believe I suddenly decided I’m no longer interested in the playboy life.
But with you, I think we can do it. Give me your hard passes.
The things you just can’t and won’t do.”
Khaleya had finally made her way to her bedroom and was now lying in bed with a bonnet on. She also had eye patches beneath her eyes.
“First, no sex. This is pretend, and it needs to stay that way. Second, I don’t want my parents or family brought into this—”
“You know I have no control over the media, right? I can do my best, but that’s not something I can promise. The first, we can both agree on, but the moment you give me the word, I’m wearing yo’ ass out.”
“Don’t hold your breath. Third, no extra groping unless we talked about it beforehand. My body is mine, and I need you to respect that.”
My brow lifted.
“It’s no way anyone will believe you’re mine if I have to ask your permission to touch you.”
She nodded and rolled her eyes. “I guess. Fourth… no other women. I don’t care if we’re pretending. You don’t get the right to embarrass me in front of the world. No money is worth that.”
I heard her loud and clear. If only she knew. That was the last thing I would ever try to do.
“I would never intentionally embarrass you. Communication is key with me. You’ll never have to repeat yourself.
Tell me if you don’t like something, no matter how small you think it is.
I still want to show you the respect you deserve.
And no women or men for you either. That dating shit you do now, pause that. ”
She smiled and nodded. “I like men and men only. But I like that you didn’t assume. If you want me to stop dating on my social media, you’re going to have to be my partner for those, then. That’s part of my bread and butter. I can’t just stop recording for over a month.”
I stroked my chin and nodded. “I can make that happen. Once we get this contract signed, I’ll make sure you have access to my calendar, and I’ll have access to yours, since we’re going to need to set up dates and things anyway.”
I yawned as the events of the day caught up with me.
“I don’t want to keep you up too late.”
I waved her off. “It’s cool. Give me the rest of your hard no’s. I want to get this over to my lawyer so we can get that contract drawn up.”
She licked her lip and then bit the corner of her lower lip. I made a mental note that when she was in deep thought, she bit her lip. I don’t know why understanding her tell signs was important to me. But it just was.
“I need forty-eight-hour notice before anything important that I am expected to be at. Oh, and my wardrobe for all said events is on you. It doesn’t come out of our agreed amount either.”
I nodded. “I can do that. Anything else?”
“Don’t ever let me find out something from other people. Please be the first to tell me. I can handle any and everything thrown my way. Long as I have the details.”