Chapter 7 Fellas There’s A Jealous Boy

Third Person POV

It was finally Friday at Morgan & Michaels, the law firm where the line between power suits and casual slay blurred in the most deliciously chaotic way. Casual Fridays were a sacred tradition, and Carmen was not about to waste the opportunity to stunt.

She wore a pair of high-waisted, skin-tight jeans with distressed rips that hugged her curves like they were designed for her body alone. A cropped top with an undershirt peeking from beneath gave her just enough edge to toe the line of workplace appropriate, and her braids were stacked neatly in a high bun that sat like a crown atop her head. Light glam makeup gave her that radiant finish, and her Jordan Air 1s screamed stylish rebellion.

She strutted confidently through the lobby like she owned every tile in the place, heading to the elevators that would take her up to the seventh floor, where the Security and Compliance division lived. That was her zone. Carmen didn’t play when it came to tight systems and tighter records.

As she passed the coffee bar, Crandon happened to glance up from his conversation with Kira, and instantly regretted it. His mouth damn near dropped open. Carmen glided past like some kind of streetwear goddess, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Her perfume consumed him. He quickly pulled himself together, trying not to look like he was staring while Kira was standing right there.

But Kira caught it. She smirked and waved Carmen down. "Hey Carmen, what’s up, girl? I love those shoes!"

Carmen grinned, turning on her heel just enough. "Oh, these? My new boo just bought them for me."

Kira’s brows raised. "A new boo? Who is he?"

"Yeah, his name is Pat. He’s a Kappa, and he goes to Robert Morris University."

"Ooh, a Kappa? You know they always be stepping clean!" Kira said, nudging her. "Is he fine?"

Carmen chuckled. "Girl, he's umm... well we just started talking, but he seems really sweet, and he is really respectful. I gotta try to get me one of these good guys floating around before y’all take ‘em all."

Crandon was seething internally. Every muscle in his jaw twitched as he stared at the elevator button like it owed him something.

Kira leaned in with playful curiosity. "Tell me more, tell me more, plus you never said if he looked good or not."

As they entered the elevator, Crandon followed behind them, silently fuming. A few other associates stepped in, but all the energy was centered around Carmen and Kira, who were giggling like teenagers.

"I remember when I first met Martin," Kira said, grinning. "Whew, he was to die for."

"Wait, is that the one who works at Fogo de Chão?" Carmen asked.

"Yup, that’s him. Girl, we should totally double date!"

Carmen’s eyes lit up. "We can maybe go to his job and get a discount!"

"At Fogo de Chão? Hell yeah, I’m down for it!"

"Say less, I’m texting Pat right now." Carmen pulled out her phone, her manicured fingers flying over the screen.

Crandon clenched his fists inside his pockets. This was torture. Literal, slow drip, oxygen-depriving torture.

When the elevator stopped at the seventh floor, Carmen and Kira stepped out with an effortless flair. Crandon rode up to his floor in silence, fuming, the girls’ laughter echoing in his mind like a mocking chorus.

The moment the doors opened, he stormed into his office and slammed the door,, only to find Silas already sitting on his couch like he owned the place.

"What the hell, Silas?! I should kick your ass. What are you doing in my office?"

Silas raised a brow, unfazed. "Relax. I came to talk. We got some headway on the mayor situation."

Crandon’s irritation paused momentarily. "For real?"

"Yeah. That new girl, Sienna? She’s kicking ass. Tracked that shit down with surgical precision."

Crandon scratched his head, pacing. "Okay... okay, that’s good. What’s the latest?"

"She already found two of the four shell locations. She’s working on the third. We should get started on the Universal Airlines deal."

"Damn. She moved fast."

"Real fast. Word is, her mom’s friend is tight with Thomas Michaels. He pulled her chart and everything. Apparently, her mom, I think her name is Sole, kept bragging about how good Sienna is with numbers. My thought is it is rare for a girl to be as good at math the way she is."

Crandon stopped pacing and narrowed his eyes. "What the hell, bro? Are you a chauvinist pig now?"

Silas laughed, raising his hands. "Nah, nah. I’m just saying that it’s rare, but she eats numbers for breakfast."

Crandon nodded. "Fine. Let’s move on it. And yeah, I’ll double-check the accounting side, but that’s Knox’s domain."

"Already on it," Silas said. "I just figured you’d wanna know."

"Good looking out. Oh, are we catering lunch today?"

"Yep. It will be in the cafeteria. It’s already handled."

Crandon raised a brow. "Email sent?"

"Already done."

"Damn, okay then. I’ll see you there."

Silas stood, giving his brother a knowing look. "And bro... whatever you got going on? Chill. Maybe find yourself a new woman."

Crandon scoffed. "What, like Knox and Kole? They got a new woman every week."

"Hey, or take a page outta Clifton’s book. He been dating that same girl secretly since they were 15, acting like don’t nobody know."

Crandon laughed despite himself. "Everybody knows. That has been whipped by that one girl since they were in the eighth grade."

They shared a laugh, the tension briefly easing. But deep down, Crandon couldn’t stop thinking about Carmen and her damn Kappa hot boy. When did they meet? Is she really into him? Like what the fuck am I doing. She is a whole 12 years younger than me. Maybe I should just leave her be, but can I?