Chapter 13
T here was no soul-stirring peace that made it hard to get out of bed this morning.
Just exhaustion because I hadn’t slept. Even hitting the bag at the gym felt harder.
I still pushed through and came back to shower, but the water didn’t feel as hot, either.
Standing in the closet, time dragged. Time always seemed to move fast when I was flirting with Navie or watching her prepare for the day.
Today, it dragged getting dressed in the stillness of my room.
Thandie wasn’t the problem that Navie wanted her to be. It was just a method of avoiding a difficult conversation about Lorenzo. My fist throbbed at Navie’s allegiance to whatever she was hiding.
Leaving the house, I drove to the office hoping I found more peace than I had at home. Unfortunately, I walked into my office, and Fallon began rattling off information, just as she did every morning. Then she took one look at me and stopped.
“You’re still alive, so I guess she isn’t that upset. What happened now?”
“Difference in opinion. I’m not kissing her ass.”
“You’ve been doing it. Why stop now?” Fallon asked.
“I’ve kept my word. Whatever she needs, I deliver, and it’s still not enough. I’m the wrong nigga to play with. Everything has a limit, especially my fuckin’ patience.”
“You didn’t want easy, remember? Deal with it.”
“I am dealing with it. She’s stuck until I say otherwise, so shit can be as easy or difficult as she makes it.”
“So romantic. How is she not throwing roses at your feet?”
“Lish got in your ass if you’re siding with Navie.”
Fallon rolled her eyes because up until that moment, she hadn’t realized it.
“Fuck you,” she spat while trying to gather the rest of her thoughts, “I’m just saying.
You walk into rooms, and suddenly people sit straighter and think faster.
You demand more from people without even saying a word.
Everybody’s life bends to your goals, schedule, and plans.
It’s like we’re all satellites and you’re the sun, and some days the sun gets hot as fuck and we’d rather go inside. ”
“I go just as hard for my people as I do for myself. Whenever you call, I pull up. You need something, I make it happen. That’s not selfish, that’s loyalty.”
Fallon sighed. “That’s your problem. You don’t listen. I never said you were selfish. I’m saying you’re a lot. You set the bar so high, all the time, in everything. You make people wanna be better. If you want people to see you as a man and not just a politician, start acting like one.”
I leaned back, crossing my arms. “So what, I’m supposed to be a yes man? That’s not me. If something’s not right, I call it out.”
“I’m saying, recognize that not everything is about you. You don’t always have to do something. Maybe Navie’s walls are her shit to overcome at her own pace. Besides, I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff she doesn’t know about you.”
“We’re talking about Navie or Lish?”
“Both, because she’s stubborn just like you,” Fallon replied.
Lish was her girlfriend of three years. Things were great until a few months ago. Now they fought often because Lish wanted more than Fallon was ready to give.
“What did you do or not do this time?”
“Same argument that I’m tired of having. She doesn’t feel like I’m invested. Lish feels like a secret I’m ashamed of sharing.”
“Shorty might have a point. It took a minute before I even met Lish.”
“Excuse me for keeping something to myself.”
“All you’ll have is yourself if you keep this shit up.”
“And you, because at the rate you’re going, Navie is definitely leaving.”
“Difference between me and you, I’m prepared to do what I have to do so that won’t happen.”
“You’ve already had her locked up. What’s next?”
I flashed a wide smile while my fingers stroked the keys. “Stay tuned.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“On some real shit. I know you love Lish, but none of that matters if she doesn’t feel it.”
“What else am I supposed to do?”
“Bring her over for dinner. Navie will cook.”
“Navie doesn’t even like you right now. How the hell will you convince her to cook for my girlfriend?”
“You forgot how good a wingman I am?”
“That was in college, and Navie isn’t easily swayed.”
“Still helped you bag plenty of bitches. Have faith.”
“Good luck getting your girl on board, but we have more important issues.”
The issues Fallon wanted to discuss weren’t important at all. She was just tired of discussing her relationship. After reviewing my upcoming schedule, I rushed to a meeting that should’ve been handled via email.
When I reached the final meeting, I checked my phone, hoping for a message from Navie. There was nothing new in the thread. Only my response to her asking when I would be home the other night. Now I had nothing to distract me from Victor’s smug tone, rallying to shut down the co-op.
“It’s bringing in fresh capital and local ownership. Real partnerships. That money’s already funding a new workforce center on East Monroe and mobile mental health units. We’re building structure and opportunity, not just reacting to symptoms,” Zoe championed.
There were plenty of surprised looks because nobody expected my plan to work, including Victor.
“And how long does that last?” he said smoothly, allowing a pause. “There’s ex-cons, gangsters, and dealers all tied to a single investment pool. What happens when trust runs dry or worse?”
“I’d rather take a calculated risk on people trying to rebuild than playing scared. Pushing people out of their homes to build a golf course they won’t even get to enjoy isn’t a price the city should have to pay.”
Victor stiffened, running out of points on his mental cue cards.
He wasn’t worried about the co-op collapsing.
He was petrified that it would succeed, making him expendable.
The meeting wrapped up, and I left. I wasn’t sticking around to rehash the same shit we just discussed.
Especially since Navie and I had an obligation tonight.
M y bedroom was silent as we navigated getting ready for the gala like a true married couple.
I thought the punishment was over until Navie decided on a last- minute wardrobe change.
My lips quivered with the desire to ask why.
Instead, she slipped out of my favorite look for a runner-up that she needed help to zip.
Navie was too stubborn to ask, but I didn’t have the willpower to let her struggle for long.
“Thank you.” She muttered as I walked up behind her, securing the zipper.
“Welcome.”
Those were the only three words shared before stepping on the elevator. None was said as we walked through the lobby to the car either. Navie’s eyes were glued to her phone as silence third-wheeled on the drive to the venue.
“Why did you switch dresses?” I asked, unable to hold back any longer.
“Undercard can’t look better than the main event. That’s bad for business,” she replied.
Fuck business, I preferred the velvet one-shoulder gown with a high split. I was looking forward to the cut-out sides giving me access to her skin all night. With no public obligations and being at odds, I hadn’t touched Navie in days. She was so close but so fuckin far that days felt like years.
Was Lorenzo to blame for her settling on the champagne spaghetti-strap dress? It looked good, just not as good as the one she took off in my bathroom.
We arrived on the red carpet wearing broad smiles and plenty of affection that shocked me, considering the daggers she shot at my hand before climbing out of the car.
My lips met her ear, standing on the carpet waiting for the line to move, “You’ll never have to dim yourself with the right man. Don’t let it happen again.”
We entered the venue, running into Governor Webster and his wife, which made it easy to check him off my to-do list. His wife complimented Navie’s dress, then whisked her away. She usually hated being separated at these events, but tonight she enjoyed it.
“Treason Westbrook,” Winston smiled, parking his feet next to me. “You’re a hard man to catch.”
“We don’t have shit to catch up about.”
“Quite the contrary.”
“Nothing, I’m interested in hearing. Especially with an empty glass in my hand.”
“I think you’ll make a great politician.
You have an aura that people will follow blindly, but timing matters.
Right now, it’s not on your side, but prove you can be a team player, and after Victor’s term, we’ll fully fund your campaign as his successor.
He’ll be on to bigger things, creating the blueprint for you to follow. ”
“ Follow Victor ? Fastest way to end a conversation with me.”
“I can see how that sounds, but Victor understands the bigger picture. That’s something you could stand to learn if you want a lasting career in politics. You have to give to get. That’s how it works.”
“Victor might not mind your hand up his ass, but I’ll never be a puppet. Especially for you.”
“You think Jaleb Langston is funneling millions to your campaign out of the kindness of his heart?” Winston tilted his head and laughed. “Come on, Treason, you’re smarter than that.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I focused on Navie’s brows marred with concern, headed in my direction.
“She’s a beauty. I can see why you’re smitten, but how about a counteroffer to make her go away? I think twenty thousand should cover your troubles.”
“Your wife might go for twenty bands, but don’t insult mine with that bullshit.”
“I doubt that. I heard her mother went for less. Word of advice,” Winston leaned in, “There’s not a woman alive worth derailing your career. Not even one as good as Navie.”
My body moved before my mind caught up. One second, I was standing still, trying to ignore his clown ass. Next, I became a part of the circus, pushing him against the wall, with my hand around his throat.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you! Stop playin’ with me and talkin’ crazy!”
Winston smiled like the devil, “There he is. Show the room who you really are.”