Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 142866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Sorry, Daddy.
He would have loved Maverick. I think. He never thought anyone was good enough for his little girl. To be honest, I’ve mostly agreed with him. I’ve found men to be overwhelmingly underwhelming, with a few exceptions like Josiah and Judah.
And Mav.
Before I can interrupt their conversation and fix a plate, the phone buzzes in my skirt pocket.
Zere.
Moment of truth. Although I’m fully prepared that she’ll say I’m out and can’t work with her on the show, there is a small part of me that would love for us to move past this. Holding out the tiniest bit of hope, I step into Daddy’s old office to take the call.
“Zere, hi,” I say, settling into the office chair.
“Hey, Hendrix.” Her voice holds none of the warmth I’d become used to before this all went down. “I wanted to follow up after our last call.”
“Sure. Thanks for giving it some thought.”
“I don’t want to be in business with you.”
I close my eyes and slump into Daddy’s old chair. Even knowing it was a probability, I didn’t want it to go this way.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I reply. “But I understand.”
“In talking with my lawyers, I—”
“Wait. Lawyers? Why?”
“In case there was any confusion about who conceptualized this show or who has the right to move forward with its development. I feel confident, based on the counsel I’ve received, that you have no real claim here. Should you want to take me to court—”
“I don’t.” I stand and walk back and forth, the only outlet for my agitation. “It never even occurred to me.”
“Very naive of you. Of course there were possible legal repercussions. That’s what I’ve been investigating since we last spoke.”
“So you never even considered that we might get past this and work together? Be partners?”
“Once a thief, always a thief,” she says, her voice cooling even more to subzero. “If I couldn’t trust you with my man, you think I’d trust you with my business?”
I’m usually controlled in bitch trying to test me scenarios, but considering all that has happened with Aunt Geneva, Mama, the hospital—it’s too much. The chain holding me back snaps and so do I.
“I didn’t steal anything from you, Zere.” My voice is preternaturally calm, in stark contrast to the violence of my heart rattling the cage of my ribs. “You and Maverick were no longer together when he and I started seeing each other.”
“Technically, but—”
“Oh, if we’re getting technical, I recall being the one who actually created a pitch deck for this show.”
“But if you—”
“I’ve brought just as many contacts to the table for it as you have, if not more.”
“That may be true—”
“Oh, it is true, but I’m not consulting my lawyers or even running around trying to figure out what’s mine, when I lost it, why’d you take it. And you know why?”
“Why?” It sounds like the Jaws of Life had to pry the word from her lips.
“Because what is for me, is for me. I don’t have to worry about somebody stealing it and I don’t have to prove that it is or ever was mine. Even if it begins in the wrong place, with the wrong person, if it’s meant for me, it will find me.” I pause to let that sink in. “He found me.”
I don’t regret my words in the strained silence that follows. I’m sorry things rolled out like this, but I didn’t do anything wrong.
“My lawyers will send over paperwork to put in writing that you have no claim to the show,” Zere says, her voice stilted. “And that your only interest is as Chapel’s manager. I did let you keep that.”
“You didn’t let me keep that. Chapel and I have a relationship that predates her time on Lewks and will continue beyond this project with you.”
“Whatever, Hendrix.”
“Look, at our big age, I’d hoped we could continue working together like grown women who are about their business, but that’s obviously not happening so I wish you the best.”
“You don’t even get how hurt I am, do you?”
“You’re wrong. I do because I know how much it would hurt if I lost Maverick. I get it and I’m prepared to accept any decision with which you are comfortable. You were the one who introduced lawyers and tried to make me feel like I’ve wronged you, when I know I haven’t. So please don’t think I’m ceding any moral high ground to you because you used to date my boyfriend.”
The word that I toyed with, wasn’t sure I should even use, falls from my lips so easily, as if he’s always been mine. And it feels that way. There is an always-ness to my connection with Maverick, even from the beginning. An evergreen alchemy that may have been waiting since the beginning of time for the right time.