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Chapter 3
Jace
As I pulled open the glass door leading to our boardroom of LB Incorporated, my youngest brother, Langston, held the phone to his ear, and his long limbs paced the floor. He’d always had trouble sitting still for too long. The pace of football was too slow for him. He’d naturally gravitated to the constant action of basketball and was in his last years as a Denver Nugget. He had a game last night and still sulked from the loss to the Rockets. He only stayed longer in the city to support my meeting with Spirit.
When I entered the room, he looked up and lifted one brow at the Tom Ford suit I wore. I chose a suit tonight so Spirit would believe my proposal wasn’t just a passing thought. I had excellent instincts in business, and my ideas were sound.
Remi, the middle brother and still a running back for the New York Jets, walked into the room, cocky as ever. His gold and diamonds flashed on his neck and hands. He was the brash one of us and loved the fame and attention the most among the three of us. Remi was the one we worried about once the curtains closed. At 40, the time was nearing for him to retire. I stepped back and embraced him. He shook Langston’s hand and sat down at the head.
I squeezed his shoulder. “Come on, you know I’m lead on this one. Move.”
“We all know Spirit and agreed to help. How come you get to sit here? It’s our financial group,” he reminded.
“’Why does he get to sit here’, uneducated negro. Why... not, ‘how come’,” Langston corrected as he clicked off his cell. He was the brainiac of the family. He’d earned a Masters in Organic Chemistry during his first years in the NBA. “Poor grammar and all, Remi has a point. Why do you get to sit there when this is our decision to help?”
“I brought her proposal to the group.” I pushed Remi hard, and his chair partially spun before he stopped the movement with his foot.
“Injure me, and you owe me thirty million.” He jabbed his finger.
“You’re not even worth a dime.” I teased, knowing he was sensitive about making less than I did when I played. “Come on, let this be on me. She didn’t seem pleased that I’m the investor, and she hates all the ideas. I need to get her to see reason.”
“Of course she hates all your ideas.” Langston practically bounced in his chair on the side. “I mean...you did stand her up for the prom.”
“That was twenty-five years ago.”
Remi added. “Women don’t forget that shit. She got laughed at, Bruh.”
I sank into the empty seat on the other side of Remi, across from Langston. “Who laughed at her?”
“Your stank ass date and her friends two days before the prom made fun of her, basically told her that you were just being nice when you asked her because she wasn’t pretty enough for you.” Remi drummed his knuckles.
My heart squeezed painfully. “How do you know that? And why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Snookie and I were in the same class, remember? Everyone knew at Sunnydale and she was humiliated. You were the star football player. No one could tell you anything back then. Besides, I assumed you knew and didn’t care.”
“I swear I didn’t know that LaShonda said anything to Snookie, and you know why I went with LaShonda, Remi.”
“I don’t know why you stood Spirit up. Enlighten me.” Langston looked at me. At five years younger, he was often left out of conversations while we were growing up.
“Don’t want to talk about that now. It’s the past and we’re here,” I firmly said. I didn’t want to talk further about how I hurt the one person who I would never want to hurt.
Remi tugged on his long goatee. “Then, let me stay seated where I am because she likes me, and we may get somewhere tonight.”
I scoffed. “Don’t be so sure. She’s not the nice, sweet girl next door we knew. She was in love with me for years and acted like she couldn’t stand me when I saw her earlier.”
Langston scowled and jabbed the table with his index finger. “Do you hear how you sound? She didn’t know you to love you. Just had a crush on you like most of the girls did back then.” He then frowned. “You saw her today? Why? I thought we were all going to surprise her together.”
Remi chuckled. “We have our work cut out for us if she saw him already.” He suddenly looked me up and down. “Is that why you’re wearing a suit? Trying to impress her. Bruh, are you trying to get with Spirit?”
“Naw. Leave that woman alone. She doesn’t need you to fuck her life up,” Langston retorted.
“Listen, I’m not trying to hurt her at all. I don’t know how to explain it, but seeing her again revived me. After all these years, seeing her again brought back good memories of us when we were young. I like her and want to get to know her. Don’t bust my balls about this. Just let me take the lead, okay?”
We all heard the elevator ding, and I shot them warning glances to not embarrass me. The doors opened, and we saw one black-heeled boot that hugged an ankle right below a shapely calf. Then my gaze followed her body up to a wine-colored dress that molded to her curves enough to be professional and just enough to be sexy. The dark brown leather jacket emphasized her waistline, and her oiled brown cleavage teased me. By the time my eyes made it to Spirit’s beautiful face, she noticed my brothers through the glass walls and smiled wide with joy the way I thought she would look at me. I sulked as my brothers practically tripped over themselves to get to her. She hugged Langston and ruffled his long locs. “Look at you. Never thought you would grow.” Langston had been the shortest of the three of us until he grew six inches one summer and passed us up.
The goofiest smile covered Langston’s face. “You’re even more beautiful, Spirit.”
She hugged him again. “Thank you.”
