Page 24 of Certified Sin

“Likewise. I will relay the message, Mr. Bodega.” I smiled broadly, watching them leave the room.

As soon as I knew they were gone, I turned toward Shay, squealing.

“Girl, you were on fire. I’m scared of you,” she joked, walking out of the conference room, and I went to go behind her, not before I did a little celebratory dance though.

I’m definitely gonna get a raise for this one.

A noise in the distance made me jump. Spinning around, I came face-to-face with a smiling Reese.Well, this is real awkward...

“Hey,” I said shyly, my eyes darting around the room. “Uh d-did you see what I just did?”

He nodded, his grin widening.

“Great,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

He chuckled, moving closer into the room.

“Uhh, why you here?” I cleaned up the area I was sitting in as I waited for his answer.

“I actually had a meeting with Beast a few minutes ago. I was going to the elevator until I saw you in here having a seizure,” he teased me.

“Don’t hate!” I narrowed my eyes at him.

Reese’s head tilted back in laughter. I organized the files in my tote bag, getting ready to walk away when he stopped me. His hand came up to rest over his heart.

“Ronnie, I wanna apologize about what I said yesterday. The shit was out of line and not my business.”

“You right, it wasn’t.” I sat down. “But it was truth there, so I’m glad you said what you did, and I'm gonna stop seeing Sin.”

Monae was right when she said I didn’t have much experience. Maybe that’s why I was so blinded by Sin and his antics. What other explanation is there for why I let him treat me like shit? Reese sat two seats away from me.

“That ain’t because of what I said, right?”

“No. You’re not the only one who mentioned it to me,” I admitted, crossing my legs. “My best friend and my dad said the same thing, and I think it’s time to listen.”

I’ve been holding off calling Sin all day, but I know eventually I’d have to face the music.

“So, what was the meeting about?” I asked, seeing Reese rest his elbows on the table.

“I’m leaving BCE, quitting the group.”

“What?” I was in disbelief. They were at the top of their game, and I didn’t see them breaking up anytime soon

“Outside of Beast, you’re the only person who knows,” he told me. “I ain’t even tell Sin about it yet.”

“What made you wanna do this?” I sat my fist under my chin, watching Reese.

He really is sexy as hell. He leaned back in the chair, and his dreads hung loosely around his shoulders. Tattoos poked out from underneath his white t-shirt. Reese was a whole snack out here. How could I miss that?

“I’m tired of rapping. This upcoming album will be my last one,” he said with certainty, and it seemed like he had already made up his mind.

“What will you do next?”

He licked his lips, sitting up higher. “I’m opening my own label. Rhythm and Rhyme Entertainment.”

I sighed. “Well, it seems like you got everything figured out then.”

“Not everything,” he proclaimed, and my heart skipped a beat seeing the hunger in his eyes. “Let’s go get lunch.”