Adore You (7 page)

“So what’s the game plan? Beyond Cel bopping her man over the head until he rescinds his RFP requests from Urban Current?”

Teresa laughed, “Thomas wants the team to meet at eleven to come up with a plan of attack.”

“Now y’all know I do pictures; not words. Do I even have to come to this?”

“Yep,” Teresa said, “You need to know whether or not you should keep drawing on your little etch-a-sketch.”

“Hey!”

Teresa laughed even harder. I heaved a sigh and left Teresa’s office. A part of me didn’t want to even begin work on these color ways in the off chance that all of my work would be for nothing, but I also didn’t want to be caught with my pants around my ankles if this was just a scare tactic to ensure we were willing to fight to keep Parker as a client. I settled in, opened up Illustrator, and began working.

“Hey girl…you busy?” Celena popped her head into my office at a little before eleven.

“Nope, just getting ready to shut down and head to the conference room. What’s up?”

I went back to saving the logo drafts and closing down the program.

“Your boy works at Urban Current, right? Elliott?”

“Ellis. Yeah, why?”

“I need you to find out why P&A is all of a sudden waffling on what was sure to be a done deal.”

My hands hovered over my keyboard, about to lock it as I said, “You need me to do who and what now? Why can’t you ask Jake?”

“JP is…we’re…” Celena sighed, moving into my office and taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

“Cel…you can’t come in here minutes before we’re supposed to be brainstorming asking me to be inch high private eye.”

“Look, we’ll talk about it after the meeting, but just know…JP isn’t a resource anymore.”

I stared at her, eyebrows raised.

“Ooooookay.”

“Yeah girl, this isn’t a conversation to be had here. Or without drinks. Actually, what do you have brewing this evening? Wanna go down to Imbibe and have a glass or three of wine?”

“Absolutely. I was just going to go home and do that same thing. Might as well do it with a friend…and hot gossip.”

Lowering her eyes, Celena heaved another sigh. Normally, Cel was an upbeat, perky lil somebody or other, but really looking at her now she seemed…defeated.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be having this convo at Imbibe. Why don’t you just come by the house after work, so we can really get into it.”

“You sure?”

“Sis. You look like somebody just stole your bike. I am absolutely sure that we need to have this conversation anywhere, but in public. Come on; let’s get into this doggone meeting before Tom sends someone for us. You know he trips if you’re thirty seconds late.”

I grabbed a notebook, rounded my desk, and headed toward the door.

When we got into the conference room, Tom sat there with a dour look on his face. I looked at the clock, we had thirty seconds to spare, so I wasn’t so sure why Tom looked so annoyed. As soon as everyone else filed into the room, however, I learned the reason for Tom’s disposition.

“As of 10:07 today, Parker and Associates is no longer a client of this firm. For reasons that they refused to disclose, they wanted to terminate their relationship with us effective immediately.”

People began to murmur about the abruptness of this news and Tom’s unusually calm demeanor. I was pissed, but tried not to let it show on my face. I’d spent weeks working with that jackass Robert Parker, Jake’s older brother and heir to the Parker throne for nothing. I glanced over at Celena and she looked shell-shocked. So she clearly had no idea this was coming.
Oh boy…

“I’m sorry. Run that by me one more time.”

We were sitting in my den, TV on in the background ignored as we sipped our way through the second bottle of Petite Sirah.

“You heard me. I pull up to P&A thinking this was all a misunderstanding and I’d be able to get everything ironed out with JP. I’m barely through the revolving doors before I’m being escorted right back out.”

“Like, ‘ma’am can you please leave the premises escorted out’?”

“More like ‘I hate to have to do this to you, Cel’, but definitely a ‘we’re going to have to ask you to leave’ type deal.”

“I thought you were cool with that security guard dude, Petey, or whoever.”

I’d accompanied the sales and marketing teams to Parker and Associates a few times. Every time I remember Celena and that Petey guy having extensive conversations about everything under the sun as we waited for the Parker trio to be ready to meet. To know that he was the one who put her out seemed suspect as hell.

“I am. Which is why it wasn’t more of a scene. Pete tried to be as discreet as possible. Told me that I was flagged in the system as high risk. Whatever the hell that means.”

“And Jake isn’t answering your calls?”

“Not a single one. I’ve called him at least twenty-seven times. Even went by his house before I came by here and…” Celena broke off, looking away, tears welling.

“I can’t believe the nerve of this motherfucker. You were with him for three years and he just up and pulled this mess? No explanation and has the audacity to fuck with your livelihood? Cel, you know I’m a lover not a fighter, but if you want me to let that nigga know these hands are rated E for everybody, just say the word, sis.”

Celena remained silent, still staring off into space with a slight grin on her face.

“I don’t even understand though, Dev. We were good. Hadn’t seen each other in a few days, but that wasn’t unusual. We still talked every day. He just told me last night how much he loved me and now today I’m a fucking risk?”

Slowly, a tear trickled down her cheek. She didn’t bother brushing it away, just let it roll until others joined it. She began sobbing softly and I immediately pulled her into a hug. As her body rocked with sobs, I felt so powerless. My friend definitely did not deserve this kind of treatment. Somebody needed to put a foot up in Jake’s ass, honestly.

“I’m so serious, Cel. Where’s his place? I’ll roll up; hit him with The Stevie. Here’s your fade, baby. Signed, sealed, delivered—it’s yours! Or The Oprah if he got a new ho in there. You get a fade, you get a fade, everybody gets a fade.”

Celena pulled back from my embrace, laughing hysterically.

“Why are you so foolish?”

“There we go. I accomplished my mission. I got you to laugh. Fuck him, Cel. I know you’re hurting. I know you want answers, but you deserve better than this mess he’s pulling.”

“I just wish I knew what was even going on in his head.”

We finished the bottle of wine, while I caught Celena up on the happenings between Ellis and I over the past few days. I was hesitant to even bring it up, but Cel asked and refused to let it go until I caught her up. She knew about the fight at his house, so I brought her up to speed about the apology and subsequent relationship declaration and oath. She teased me mercilessly about denying my destiny, citing that trite ass “if you love someone let them go; if they come back they’re yours” saying. I brushed her off, but was really amazed. Her love life had just been blown to smithereens and instead of languishing in the misery; she was over here encouraging me to go all in with Ellis. I’d never been the hopeless romantic type chick, but that was Celena to the core. I hope she got the answers she sought from this shitbacle with Jake and eventually would be able to find someone who deserved all the love she had to give.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you settled down, Scoot?” my mother asked as we sat around the table, eating. I nearly dropped the platter containing the oven-fried chicken that I was passing to Everett. I steadied my grip and passed the plate to my left to a smirking Everett. That smirk let me know that his wife obviously clued him into whatever intel she had on me and Bee.

“Aw, ma, don’t start.”

“Aw ma, hell. I’m sick of it. These two,” she said, gesturing to Everett and Cassidy, “refuse to gimme anymore grandchildren. I love my SophieBug, but it would be nice to have more than one set of photos to pass around when I get together with the girls.”

“Mama, you the only one with photos
to
pass around at this point. Auntie Berta only got sonograms,” Everett chimed in.

“And Imogene has none,” my father piped up.

“And none of that has anything to do with why this boy thinks he’s the black George Clooney. You gonna wait until you’re fifty to get married too, Scooter?”

I just shook my head and let her keep talking. It did no good for me to even try to reason with her when she got on a roll. Not only had she regressed to calling me my childhood nickname, but she also had a bug up her butt about some damn grandkids. She’d spend the next twenty minutes outlining all of the reasons that I needed to get my life together, find a girl to marry and pop out some kids in the next six to eight months. This became the topic of conversation about every three weeks at our weekly family dinners. It was so cyclical it was a wonder that she didn’t get tired of hassling me about my dating life.

“Ma. I’m only thirty-four, calm down.”

“Boy do you know where we were at thirty-four? We’d been married for twelve years and both of you knuckleheads were in elementary school by then. To my estimation, you and your brother are slow.”

“Hey! At least Cass and I have a kid already,” Everett laughed.

“Speaking of, where is Cass? She never misses a chance to eat some of mama’s cooking.”

“She’s with Devorah today. But nice try to change the subject though…”

“Thanks, bro.” I said, rolling my eyes.

I knew exactly where Cassidy was. Bee was hosting some sort of ladies brunch thing with her friends today. I was hoping Everett would see the comment for the oop it was and slam down that subject change. As usual, my little brother enjoyed seeing my ass get fileted by our mother.

“I’m just saying, I’d like to be mobile when you decide to bless me with my first grandchild is all.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Get off the boy’s back, Ran. Would you rather him have baby mama drama?” Pops said.

Mama huffed, but quieted down. We continued the rest of the meal with Sophie taking over the show, regaling us with stories about the kids at school, her teacher, and dance class. After dinner, Mama ran off with Sophie to practice some moves for yet another performance that was coming up soon. My pops, Everett and I retired to Pops’ man cave to watch the game. I’d been jetting right after every family dinner since Bee and I had officially hooked up. This week since Bee had her girls over, I had no reason to book it home immediately. There was nothing waiting on me at home but piles of work anyway. 

“So what’s her name, son?” my father asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Whose name, pops?”

“The one that’s got you running outta here barely after you finish the last bite of ya meal every week? Don’t give me that bullshit excuse you’re giving your mother, either.”

Everett laughed, looking at me.

“Pops, I really did get put in charge of a new project at work,” I said, not answering the question.

“I don’t doubt you did, Ellis. But I know my son. You’re too anxious when you’re tryna get up outta here. You don’t have that crazy ass expression that you normally do when the job got you hemmed up. So it’s gotta be a lil filly.”

I remained silent, neither confirming nor denying. Everett continued laughing.

“What’s so funny, Ev? You met her yet? Why isn’t he bringing her ‘round here to meet ya mama and me yet? She got a cockeye? One leg shorter than the other? Hump in the back?”

“N-n-nah pops. I don’t know n-nothing about any girl. I think it really is some w-work shit,” Everett said, unconvincingly.

“And you’re obviously lying, Porky.”

I laughed loudly at that. Pops hadn’t called him that in at least twenty years. Everett was less than amused, however. Growing up, Ev was a lil portly through his preteen years. Combine that with his penchant for stuttering when he wasn’t telling the truth and the nickname was born. That goddamn stammer had given me away though.  We sat in silence until Pops broke the stalemate.

“Fine. I’ll leave it for now. But I’m warning you; your flimsy work excuse won’t last much longer. You know how Miranda is. She’s about to start parading eligible bachelorettes in front of you at these dinners. So whatever you got going on with your love life, you better get it together fast.”

“You gotta hold her off, Pops.”

“Now you know good and damn well I can’t stop that woman when she’s on a roll.”

“Dad. For real. I need you to run interference for me. I’m not confirming or denying anything, but I will say that I don’t need Miranda Taylor finding me a woman. Not right now. Not in the future.”

My dad paused a beat, looking at me curiously for a few minutes.

“Okay.”

“Okay? That’s it?”

“Yep,” he replied, taking a sip of his beer and turning his attention back to the game.

After the game went off, Pops went for his post-dinner nap and Everett and I remained in the man cave.

“So you obviously know,” I said.

“Mmmmmmmhmmmmm. You know my wife can’t hold water. Told me she saw you at Bee’s last week.”

“I had no idea Cass even knew, bruh.”

“Y’all dating or just fuckin’? Cass ain’t know that for sure.”

“Everett, chill.”

“Man, since when are you a debutante? Don’t act like we haven’t had worse conversations. Well?”

“I’m not answering that.”

Everett just nodded and made an indistinct noise.

“What?”

“Nothin’. Nothing at all, my brother. So what’s with the secret squirrel shit?”

“What! There’s something your wife didn’t tell you? Because I’m sure she knows better than me at this point. Bee doesn’t want the fam to know. She thinks Mama and Auntie Im would lose their shit. I told her she was trippin’.”

Everett said nothing, looking away to pick up his beer and take a long draw.

“What?”

“She has a point.”

“The fuck she does? Why because y’all dated on some kiddie shit back in the day?”

“That
and
the fact that you aren’t exactly known for being Mr. Forever. So when you eventually end whatever this is that y’all are doing, it’s going to be mad awkward for the entire family, man. Who wants to deal with that shit?”

“And what if I told you that this won’t be over any time soon?”

“Then I’d say you might wanna let Bee know because she doesn’t have a clue.”

“Noted.”

“Robert Parker is on the line for you, Ellis. Do you want me to transfer him through?” Pauline said.

“Senior or Junior?”

“Junior.”

Here we go again
. Robert Parker, Jr. was a pain in my ass. I don’t know what it was that caused them to leave Jamieson & Weil, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t wish that they would take their business back. Sighing, I told Pauline to patch him through.

“Ellis, Robert Parker here. Just wanted to touch base and see where you guys were with that logo update I asked for.”

“Our graphics team is currently working to implement the changes, Rob. Like I said in the email, I’ll get it back to you as soon as possible. I know they have a few things that are high priority and some of the team is out on vacation, so it may be a few days before we’re able to get those changes implemented. The timetable isn’t changing, right? We’re still aiming for the new site to be launched in six weeks, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. Six weeks. I just don’t want you all to fall too far behind. Jamieson & Weil never had these issues. I had that fine ass graphic designer over there at my beck and call. Tell her to jump and she asked how high. Damn. Sure hate that Father and Jake decided we needed to work with Urban Current going forward.”

I steeled my tongue, seeing as how that “fine ass graphic designer” was my girlfriend and hearing this nigga go on and on about her like this made me wanna punch his entire face in. I hated that I was even put on this damn project, honestly. Carl insisted that it go to me since I was heading up our local business efforts. Roger, my counterpart, could have taken this shit though. I’d rather have dealt with national brands over interactions with this prick.

“Like I said, Rob, we’ll get you sorted out in the next few days. Was there anything else you needed? I’m headed to a meeting shortly.”

“Robert.”

Was this nigga talking to himself?

“Pardon?”

“My name is Robert. You called me Rob.”

You gotta be shitting me.

“Right. Anything else you need?”

“That’ll be all for now. If I need anything else, I’ll call back,” Robert said, hanging up.

Rude ass bastard
.
I pressed the intercom to alert Pauline.

“Yes?”

“If that idiot calls back again today, don’t put him through.”

I could hear the suppressed laughter in Pauline’s voice as she agreed to my demand. I checked with the lead graphic designer via email to get a more precise idea of when they’d have deliverables ready for this chump so I could avoid further interaction. As soon as I heard back from them, I’d email Rob...
oh excuse me
, Robert back so he’d stop calling me.