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)
“What’s going on, Hen?” Yasmen asks.
“Nothing is going on.” I slice one hand through the air. Decisive. “At all, but when he called…”
These are my best friends. I need them to help me sort this weirdness out and to make sure I don’t do anything stupid. Don’t feel anything stupid. Their patient silence encourages me to go on.
“When he called,” I continue softly, toying with my chopsticks, “my heart kinda skipped a beat and my pulse picked up and I… I think I’m attracted to him.”
“He’s an attractive man.” Soledad glances at the photo. “I mean, Black surfer boy. Whew. I’m getting Judah a board.”
Giggles overtake the table for a few seconds, but we sober and I wait for them to say more as Soledad keeps scrolling across his socials.
“Ohhhh, nice,” Soledad says, brows raised high. “He donated twenty million dollars to Finley College.”
“The HBCU?” I ask. “Didn’t know that. Generous.”
“It’s natural to be attracted to someone who looks like that.” Yasmen nods to the phone at the center of the table. “And he’s wealthy, successful—”
“Kind,” I interject, because that was probably the most magnetic thing about him—how kind he was. How he understood and offered compassion that maybe no one else at that party even knew how to.
“Kind,” Yasmen echoes, watching me closely. “That’s a pretty compelling combination, so it’s natural to find him attractive, but that’s it, right? I mean, isn’t Zere your business partner? Aren’t you doing Chapel’s show with her?”
“Yes, I am. For sure. That’s why I wanted to bounce this off you guys. He called to follow up about Aspire—learn more about the fund and meet current portfolio companies.”
“That’s fine,” Soledad says. “Still okay, right?”
“Yeah. He asked me to text him the information once we nail down the details and I… I felt like I should make sure he knew that I planned to tell Zere about him possibly investing so she would know about our business connection.”
“Good,” Yasmen says. “And what’d he say?”
“He was fine with it.” I lick my lips. “I just want to make sure that all sounds aboveboard to you.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Soledad tilts her head and considers me. “Hell, I get a pounding heart and a racing pulse at an estate sale. I haven’t heard anything that sounds out of bounds.”
I chuckle, allowing my shoulders to relax. “Okay. Just needed a gut check from you guys. Make sure I’m not crossing any lines. I can’t afford to. Pretty sure Zere’s still in love with him.”
Yasmen nods. “And if she even suspected for a moment there was something up with you and Maverick—”
“It might ruin my chance to do this show and possibly Chapel’s chance, too.” I trace a pattern on the table with my index finger before glancing back up at them.
“You don’t think she’d take it out on Chapel, do you?” Yasmen asks.
“I honestly don’t know.” I shrug. “She’s hurt and I haven’t known her long enough to predict how she would respond.”
I bounce a look between my two best friends.
“Though to be clear,” I say, “right now it’s all moot because attraction or not, I’m not acting on it.”
Yasmen watches me for an extra second. “You’ve gotten this far knowing what’s right for you, for your business. Trust yourself to keep doing what’s best for you.”
“Don’t worry.” I gulp my water and the last of my reservations. “I will.”
CHAPTER 12
HENDRIX
Zere, thanks for taking a few minutes to chat,” I say, watching the phone on my desk.
“No problem.” Her voice comes over on speaker a little distant, like maybe she’s not close to the phone. “I don’t have any updates since we last talked. I’ve sent the pitch out to a few places.”
“Yeah, I sent it to the contacts I mentioned, too. They’ll get back to me probably next week or soon after.”
“Same. You said you had something you wanted to discuss?”
“It’s not anything related to the show. I actually just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“Oh, yeah?” She sounds a little distracted, and I wonder if it’s a bad time.
“It’s about Maverick.”
The silence on the other end stretches out for a few seconds, but it’s alert and tight. “What about him?” She doesn’t sound distant anymore. It sounds as if she’s right beside the phone now.
“He’s interested in possibly investing in my venture capital fund for Black women–led businesses, and I just wanted you to know since… since you guys—”
“Just broke up?” Zere’s laugh is short and sharp, the tip of a knife. “Believe me. You’re probably the only one treading lightly about that subject. I get asked several times a day what happened. I’m sick of people digging into my business.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have even mentioned it, except he’ll be coming to Atlanta for our fund’s showcase and I didn’t want you to think there was anything going on. I wanted you to know since you and I are working together, too.”