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“Tasha, there’s no reason for you to be sorry. I’m just going to go out for an early breakfast and get some work done today.”
“No, you’re making excuses for not wanting to talk about your family. That’s what you’re doing. I understand if you don’t feel comfortable enough to talk to me about them. I guess, after all this,” I pointed at the crumpled-up sheets on my bed. “We just haven’t reached that level yet. Maybe we shouldn’t go to Atlanta to meet my family yet, either,” I said, thinking I had gotten ahead of myself by inviting him to meet my family, when obviously he didn’t feel comfortable talking to me about his.
“I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized and sat back down on my bed, looking a bit calmer. “My dad left the picture when I was four and my sister was two. When I turned eighteen, my mom died of breast cancer and Marisa and I were left alone. I raised her until she got married to Tony. So, I’m it…Cody and myself.”
I moved closer and lifted my hand to his face. “I’m so sorry, Matt. I had no idea,” I said in a soft, comforting tone. His admission was the type of story that was hard to give any consolation to. “I didn’t mean to push you. I just feel like we should be open with each other about our lives and that includes our family. Hearing how you were there for your sister just confirms what I already know: You are an amazing man.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago, but I don’t really like talking about it.” The uncertainty in his eyes softened and his lips curved into a small smile. “But I would be honored to meet your parents,” he said. “Do you think they’ll like me?” he asked.
I nodded. “Well, my mother would have loved you, but she passed away a few years ago from a heart attack, and I never really knew my father. My Aunt Clara and cousin Destiny, who are my closest family…oh, they will love both you and Cody. I know they will, because they have been on me about finding someone for years, so at this point they would be happy to see me show up with a puppy.”
“Well, wait until they see this great catch you found,” Matt teased with a smile.
“You’re right.” I snaked my fingers around his neck. “Come here,” I whispered, and he slid closer to me. Our lips connected, and we kissed slowly.
I couldn’t wait for Matt to meet my family. I felt certain this was the start of something truly amazing.
Chapter Fifteen
Matt
Meeting Up with The Enemy
I took a drink from my glass of water and placed it down on the table. I had an important meeting where I was going to meet up with a high-profile rapper to discuss his case of celebrity vs. stalker. It was an open and shut case, as my client was suing for defamation of character and being stalked through the internet and most recently when they were on a family vacation. Given that all the evidence was right there on the web for all to see, I really had no reason to believe he wouldn’t win the case hands down.
Juice Luva was set to meet me at my office, and he was already fifteen minutes late. I looked at my watch to confirm that he was indeed very late and was about to text his agent to see what the holdup was, when I got a text message that he couldn’t come into the office. Instead, he needed me to meet up with him at his studio.
I grunted and groaned my frustration, but it was the life I led. All my clients were high-end celebrities and they were either bratty, catty or bossy—sometimes all three at once. Therefore, I knew I had to make an effort to go to him, if he couldn’t make it to me. I grabbed my phone and briefcase, with all his paperwork, then took off out of my office. I had just gotten off the elevator from coming down from my firm’s floor, when I spotted Melinda Lory coming through the front doors of the building.
I looked away, hoping I could make an escape through a side door. I didn’t want to talk to her, especially knowing everything she’d done to Tasha. It wasn’t something I wanted to get involved with, but she noticed me, and it was hard to getaway from her clutches.
“Matt? Oh my God…what are you doing here?” Her voice was high-pitched and annoying. I couldn’t look past it as I turned to glance at her. She knew very well what I was doing there, after all she was aware that I worked a few floors up.
“Hey, Melinda,” I mumbled. “You know why I’m here, but what are you doing here?”
She laughed in a haughty sort of way. “Silly man...I have a very important business meeting here. You know I’m the chief writer at Colorful Times.”
I inwardly groaned, not caring if she heard me. “Yeah…I’ve heard. You haven’t exactly kept that on the down low.”
She chuckled. “Well, if you have it…flaunt it.” She winked at me and I w
anted to crawl in a hole, and all out blast Melinda for being such an ass—both at the same time.
“Gotta run! I have to meet up with a client and I’m already late,” I cut our little talk short and started to move past her, glad to make my escape.
She reached out and grabbed my arm to stop me. Her fingers dug into my elbow as she held onto it with a death grip. I turned back around to face her, then slowly pulled my arm away.
“I really have to go, Melinda, but it was good seeing you.” I lied to her, mainly so I didn’t have to face her another minute. The quicker I got out of there, the better I would be with keeping my promise to Tasha not to confront Melinda.
She moved closer to me and placed her hand to my chest, startling me by the intimate way she was now touching me. “We really should get together some time.” She winked at me and I immediately brushed her off.
“I don’t think so, Melinda. I’m already seeing Tasha and I doubt she would like to know that I was going out with another woman, especially if that woman was you.”
Her jaw dropped slightly, then she laughed. “Tasha…Tasha Baker? I saw you two at the charity thing together, but I didn’t think that could ever be serious. I mean, you know that I’m much more of a lady than she’ll ever be.” She cozied up to me, looking me dead in the eye. “You really should rethink who you hang with.”
That infuriated me. Being a nice guy wasn’t going to cut it, not when Melinda couldn’t seem to understand that even if I wasn’t seeing anyone, her games weren’t going to work with me. I was tired of her coming around, thinking I would miraculously fall for her, when I really wanted nothing to do with her. Fuck it. It was time to go nuclear on her no-good ass.
“You fired Tasha for no reason. Nina stole that story of hers and you know it. So, now you come in here talking about being the head writer, which none of it impresses me because I know you got where you are by thievery.”
