جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Chandelier lights spread out like a sea of golden yellow across the restaurant. The soft sound of piano music, the quiet chatter of people, and the clinging of cutleries gave life to the room. Darnell was at his reserved table at five-thirty pm. Only two other people were at the VVIP section situated on the highest floor. From up there, he had the best view of the entire restaurant. He looked over the smooth timber railing occasionally to look out for the lady he’d met the night before, as he’d inconveniently forgotten to ask for her phone number. His phone rang and he picked it up to check the caller ID. It was Tessy, his ex. Even though he’d made it clear to her that their six-month long relationship was nothing other than business, she still called him every now and then, hoping to rekindle their relationship. It was clear to him that he’d made a mistake going for someone so young, but she was available in the short amount of time he needed her before meeting with his family. Gran

Doubt pervaded Sasha’s mind on the day of the wedding. Even though she had never been one to care about marriage, her first wedding ever being a fake bothered her. Tatiana was the only one there to support her because she had decided against telling her mother. She had told her instead that she was going on a two-month work trip. The only thing her mother hated more than her singleness was a divorce. If she knew about the marriage and learned that they were divorcing only two months later, she would never stop saying it was her lack of submissiveness that threatened men. Sometimes, Sasha was tempted to tell her that if she had divorced their father when she needed to, they wouldn’t be in the situation they were in. The wedding was held at the garden in Darnell’s grandfather’s estate. Apart from Tatiana, Grandfather, Joshua, and his wife, Maya, and the wedding officiant were at the wedding. Tatiana walked Sasha down the aisle to no music, and joined her with Darnell next to a floral

Sasha tucked a big bundle of cash in an envelope, then a smaller one in another envelope. She placed both inside her purse, put on a pair of joggers and a hoodie, then made her way downstairs. In the three weeks she’d lived with Darnell, she’d learned his schedule. On weekdays like this, he stayed out until 8pm. At the garage, she unlocked one of his cars, got in and turned the ignition on. She had two hours. She drove until she neared a familiar street, then she stopped and alighted. She carried her purse past a corner that led to a diner. It was front meant to hide what the place truly was. She took a seat on one of the tables and waited for someone to approach her. A waiter in his 20s spotted her and walked over with a note and a pen in his hand. “Hi, I’m Chu. What can I get you?” he said, smiling welcomely. He was a new face. She knew what to do. “I want to see the chef,” she said. “Wrong order?” Chu asked. “No. I want to personally thank him for a good meal.” She tapped her p

Two weeks after leaving Darnell, Sasha was adjusting back to her former life. She had her boyfriend again and was a million dollar richer. In a few weeks, she and Trey were moving into a new apartment, and she never had to worry about her mother’s lack of respect for her privacy again. Just as he’d promised, Darnell had pulled some strings to get her her job back. She’d paid Tom McCarthy a visit. His eyes shone with surprise when she walked into his office. “Surprised to see me?” she asked. “What are you doing here? “I’m back,” she said. Tom arose from his chair and approached her. “Exactly how did do you do that?” “I took your advice and got a friend in a high place. Even higher than yours, I might add,” she said. “Does that impress you, Tom? You always said I learned fast.” She closed in on him and said in a low voice, “I know who you really are now. If you ever try to punish me again because I won’t sleep with you, I’ll make sure that you get what you deserve.” She pulle

Paris was calm. That was its appeal: the chill weather and the absence of rowdiness. It almost made Darnell forget all his problems in Los Angeles, where they were too many people and the harsh weather roared with intention.He met Lubna for lunch at Les Gout de la France, where they’d talked about work. Afterwards, they went back to her place and had sex.“Why are you still there?” she asked as she stroked his head. She was sitting down, holding a cigarette between her fingers, while he lay with his head on her thighs.“I still have some unfinished business with my grandfather,” he said.“Is it about the hotels?” She exhaled smoke.“Yeah.”“I thought you said you didn’t care about it. That’s why you moved here to start your own business,” Lubna said as she inhaled another smoke.“It was mine after my father passed away. I didn’t have a choice. His eighty percent of the business became mine automatically. Grandfather owns the other twenty and is making me work for it or he gives it to