Healing Inc. Read online

  “I actually finished everything that needed to be done for the sale tomorrow yesterday. With your help they’ll be ahead of the game, giving them an easier week. Thank you for that.” She gave him a warm smile. It occurred to her that she seemed to be doing that a lot around him.

  “You’re welcome. But, shouldn’t you be doing better things with your time off, like spending it with your family?”

  He was fishing and Evy knew it. “Well, the only real family that I had outside of Nita’s was my mom. She passed away several years ago.” She couldn’t keep some of the sting she still felt from the loss of her mom out of her voice. “Even though Nita’s family considers me to be the ‘other little sister’, I feel the need to give her space every now and then.”

  Tyler sat for a moment taking in what she had told him, acknowledging her close ties to Nita. “I’m sorry to hear that. I can empathize with you. I lost my mom when I was sixteen.”

  “Wow! That must have been hard for you. My condolences to you and your daughter. I’m sure wherever she is right now she’s very proud of you. From what I can tell, you turned out well.” Her reply was heartfelt.

  “Well, it was money I received from her death that gave me the chance I needed to build my business. I didn’t take her for the type to establish a trust fund for me but she did. I owe a lot to her.” Evy nodded in agreement.

  They sat eating in content silence for another moment. This time Evy was the one to break the quiet.

  “I have to ask,” she hesitated a moment, “is it true that you have ties to the mafia in New York?” As she took another bite from her half sandwich she was sure she was coming off as nosy and maybe even overbearing. However, she felt that since he wanted in on Healing Inc., which was her baby, she had every reason to ask this question.

  Tyler didn’t answer right away. He continued looking straight ahead, chewing the piece of sandwich in his mouth. “Yes,” he finally responded. “Yes, I do.” He took another minute to decide whether he should clarify his answer or not. Usually whenever someone mentioned his ties or his family members he would lose his temper. Oddly enough, he didn’t take offense to her doing so.

  “Luckily, being a bastard tied to the Moriatti family by my mother, I was able to make a more honest living than the rest. I guess in some regards that saved me from an official indoctrination into the family business.” He finished with a slight chortle as his mind drifted off with the weight of what that all meant.

  Evy could feel that he had been hurt by his family, his past. It did something to her heart. She suddenly felt the urge to reach out and touch the back of his hand or give him a sympathetic hug, but fought it knowing that she was too bombarded with her own demons to take on his.

  Coming out of his reverie, he turned focusing his gaze on her. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question.” His voice was more upbeat now. “You have a beautiful voice, why don’t you perform in public anymore?”

  A slight sense of dread came over her. She had tampered with this dangerous line of questioning and he had turned it back on her. She didn’t have to ask where he had heard her perform because Nita had told her all about the exchange that took place last March. She hesitated, taking in his deep royal blue eyes, straight pointed nose, full lips and short wavy dark hair. His tan made his eyes look all the more intense as he gazed at her. For the first time, she really noticed just how good-looking he was.

  A sigh escaped her, announcing the gravity of what she was about to confess. “Let’s just say some people have addictions. Performing is mine.” He gave her an odd look prompting her to explain further. “When people are addicted to drugs or alcohol they live for it, and will do some of the worst deeds to get it. I allowed performing to be my drug. I didn’t do anything illegal but I definitely let it control my life. I couldn’t walk away from it when I should have, and when I tried to, it was too late. Now, fourteen years later I’m still dealing with the consequences of it all.”

  At that point, she lost the ability to maintain eye contact with him. If only for a few hours he had managed to take away all of her pain only to innocently hand it back to her with a simple question. Suddenly, the sandwich that had tasted so good lost its flavor. Placing it on the chair beside her, she turned to the clock on the wall to see what time it was.

  “It’s getting late. I think we need to call it quits,” she informed him.

  Tyler thought she was bluffing about the time until he looked down at his Rolex. It was well past eleven pm. The time had gone by so quickly he hadn’t noticed that the light of day no longer flowed in through the shop windows. He sensed that his question had altered her mood and felt bad about it. He acknowledged that she had demons to fight, big ones it sounded like and suddenly wished for more time to help her slay them. An impulsive urge to protect her came over him accompanied by the thought of this possibly being their last encounter. At first, he had thought it was because he was lonely with Cecile leaving home that made him want to stay. Now he knew it was because he wanted to be around her.

  “Might I interest you in joining me for dinner some time?” It had been a while since he had dated. That had been by choice.

  Evy thought for a moment. She had enjoyed his company, yes, but was she ready to head down that road with him? Nita had tried to set her up with one of her brothers but it had been more like dating her own brother, not to mention those boys were a little rough around the edges. This could be different. He was just asking for dinner, right? What if he was one of those guys who just wanted a small taste of her after seeing her perform? She pondered all the issues that she had experienced with David. This was the anniversary of having met David. She allowed this last bit of processed information to be her deciding factor.

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” The look on his face spoke volumes. She could tell he wasn’t a man that people said no to very often, yet she had done so and on a personal level.

  “No?” he shouted in disbelief. “After the day we had together you’re saying no!” He couldn’t help but be a little agitated, not to mention utterly confused. He thought she had enjoyed being around him as much as he had enjoyed her.

  “I’m sorry, Tyler,” she started in her softest tone. “I don’t think I’m ready to head down that road just yet. I don’t think being in a relationship with me would be fair to anyone right now and I’ve never been one for casual dating.”

  “I didn’t ask for a relationship,” Although that’s exactly what he wanted, “and I don’t partake in frivolous encounters either. I just want to have dinner with you.”

  “Dinner? Just dinner?” She stood with her hands on her hips. “You really just want to sit, eat and talk together like we just did?” Technically she was right. They had had dinner together.

  He knew his mulish streak was kicking in but, try as he might, he could not control it. The right thing to do would be a gentleman and respect her answer, but he just couldn’t do that. Then something occurred to him. “Are you declining my invitation because I’m white?”

  “Really? You are?” she joked. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” The racial difference actually hadn’t come to mind before he mentioned it. She had never seen herself with anyone other than David but that was only due to him ruining her for anybody else. The impasse made them pause and stare at each other, neither of them backing down.

  “We are going to have dinner, Evy,” he declared, ending the stalemate. His face was turning red as he fought to control his temper. He knew she was right about having eaten together but no way in hell was he going to admit to it.

  She looked at him incredulous. Well, well, well the arrogant asshole does exist. “Tyler,” she started as calmly as she could, hiding her thoughts from him. “You’re a really nice guy and I’m glad that you came by today, but you can’t force me to have dinner with you”.

  “Oh, it won’t be forced.” He replied, eyes wide with resolve, his head bobbing up and down slowly. A devious smirk slowly traversed his face send
ing a slight chill up Evy’s spine.

  Evy wasn’t sure what to make of all of this. One thing was for sure; her stubborn side wasn’t going to make this easy for him. Who the hell did he think he was anyway! She hadn’t escaped from the prison of one controlling man only to end up in another. “I think we need to go now.”

  They took a few minutes to straighten up a bit, both of them working in complete silence. Once finished, they walked out of the building together. Tyler stood guard while Evy locked the door. He wasn’t about to leave her alone with it being as late as it was. Together, they walked to their cars. After she unlocked her door he quickly opened it for her, demonstrating what a gentleman he really was. They stood facing one another for the final time that night.

  “Well, Tyler, it was so nice meeting you. Thanks for all your help today. I’m sure everyone who works this week will appreciate it.”

  “I’ll pick you up here on Tuesday at six, unless you want to tell me where you live.”

  Quiet claimed them once again as they stared each other in the eyes. Evy got in her car and he gently closed the door behind her. Standing by his car, he watched her drive out of the parking lot.

  “What the hell are you thinking?” He asked himself. Getting in his Jaguar, he headed home.

  ***

  Meanwhile in Chicago….

  “Tu es la mujer más sexy del mundo, you are the sexiest woman in the world,” Tony, a.k.a. Anthony Sparrow, whispered in Nita’s ear as he stroked repetitively in and out of her womanhood. “You are so beautiful… You feel sooo good!” Nita responded to his awesome love making with whimpers and moans. She couldn’t believe how good it felt to be back in his strong arms again, relishing in all the warmth and strength of him. She allowed his soft words to propel her further toward the ledge of ecstasy. He continued his journey with his mouth at times claiming hers, kissing her nose, eyes and ears. His hands roamed freely, occasionally stopping to grasp an ample breast or tease a taunt nipple. Their passion gained momentum, building on each thrust and word spoken. “Te quiero Nita… I love you so much!” She contracted and convulsed as his back stiffened, his declaration of his love for her catapulting them to the stars together.

  Nita lay in Tony’s arms with her back to him, her body still journeying back to Earth from the climax. She had anticipated this weekend for a long time and now found it well worth the trip. She knew he meant every word that he had said to her while making love. She felt it in his kiss, his touch and every look he gave her. Her heart was his and vice versa, making it more and more difficult to say goodbye to him after each rendezvous. They had been meeting like this for ten years.

  “So,” he started, “when are you finally going to move back here and marry me?”

  She sighed. “Iye, Tony! Can’t we just finish enjoying the moment before we talk about that again?”

  “Ten years is a long time Nita. I think I’ve been patient. Don’t you?” It was his serenity after all that aided in his success as a commercial loan business owner.

  She turned on her back to look up at him. Drawing his head down toward her, she tenderly touched her lips to his. Releasing him, she took in his curly light brown hair and matching eyes. He was more on the rugged side in looks, handsome in the ultimate masculine form of it with a five o clock shadow he wore well. Their coloring was close with his being a tad darker originating from his black father. His mother was olive in hue from her Puerto Rican ethnicity.

  “Oklahoma is my home now.” He began to say something but she stopped him by pressing her index and middle fingers to his lips. “Please don’t try to blame this on Evy. Keep in mind that I was the one who dragged her there with me, not the other way around. If she knew about us she would be overjoyed and would try to convince me to come back here in a heartbeat. She’s a lot stronger than you think. I choose to stay because I love what I do there. I couldn’t return to Chicago as the CEO of a company, or even obtain a job practicing corporate law making as much money as I do there. Besides, I prefer the pace of life in that city much more than here.”

  “That’s why I keep telling you that I can support you, or you could work for me,” he argued. “My commercial loan business could definitely use you, mi amour. I need you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t think working together in that type of environment is healthy for a relationship. What are you going to do when I have to tell one of your clients to kiss my round Latino ass if they don’t like what I’m saying to them?” The bed shook with his laughter. “I need you too,” she went on, “but I’m not willing to give up my career and a job that I love to move back to a city that, quite frankly, I don’t care for anymore.” She caressed the smooth skin above his stubbled jaw, wanting to convey to him that her aversion of Chicago had nothing to do with him.

  Tony continued to lay with her, pondering what she had just said. He knew she was right and understood that their marriage would be doomed if he forced her to reside in a town where she wasn’t happy. The selfish part of him wanted to keep on her until he wore her down. They weren’t getting any younger and these monthly encounters were no longer enough for him. He wanted to start a family with her. He made up his mind a while ago that he had to have her, one way or another.

  If he possessed the capability to turn back time he would go back and stop her from leaving Chicago after the trial that took place so long ago. Hell, there wouldn’t have been a trial. However, the trial and all that lead up to it could not be undone. Nita, being the spit fire that she was, probably would have found a way to kill Raheem Jones herself if he hadn’t managed to hang himself in prison five years ago.

  His thoughts turned back to the night that he first laid eyes on her, wishing it had been under better circumstances. She and her brothers had come to get Evy, who was still living with David in Chicago at the time. The plan had been to gather her few belongings and take her back to Oklahoma. Word on the street was David had threatened Nita’s family in the past when they had tried to intervene in his relationship with Evy. Nita’s brothers, especially Miguel, were determined to get Evy away from him for good this time. Tony still wondered how the two women had planned to make it. At the time, Evy relied completely on David financially and Nita had just started law school.

  The group had shown up at David’s Juke Joint only to find that David was dead and Evy was in the hospital barely clinging to life. Somehow Nita made it past the yellow tape, stepped into the room and went into hysterics after seeing all the blood left behind from the attack. Tony immediately took over for the police officer that was trying to calm her down. He escorted her and her brothers outside to inform them of his take on what had transpired. That’s when he found out that David had started beating Evy and the Vasquez family’s plan to remedy the situation.

  Tony had done business with David for years and had heard rumors about his drug use. At one point he had confronted him about it, giving him a big brother lecture. Although he liked David a lot, had he witnessed evidence of the beatings he would have kicked David’s ass himself. Evy was a good kid with lots of talent. He would have done what he could to help her get away from David. A part of him still felt guilty for not seeing what had been going on at the time. He and Nita had spent the months of Evy’s recovery falling in love.

  Raheem Jones did his best to intimidate Evy, thinking she wouldn’t testify against him. He kept reminding everybody that he had not acted alone and that the other participants might pick up where he left off if she did. Evy couldn’t help but be afraid, knowing that the other three men had disappeared before they could be apprehended and were probably still out there. Boy was he surprised when she showed up in court with Tony, his brother Gabriel, Nita and all six of her brothers to support her, each one of them giving him the stare down. He got life in prison.

  The last direct communication Tony had had with Evy was when she signed the papers for David’s Juke Joint over to him as a loan payoff. Apparently David wasn’t all bad. He had left her everything to include
the club, three rental apartment buildings and a substantial insurance policy. He had hoped at the time that it would be enough to help her get back on her feet. All other dealings with her were through Nita, who only would say that Evy now did odd jobs for the same corporation that she worked for. According to Nita, Evy had left the stage for good.

  “Where are you, babe?” Nita asked, bringing an end to his rumination.

  “Just remembering how lucky I am to have you.” He looked down at her longingly. “So, does this mean I have to wait till next month to see you again?”

  “You’ll- see – me! We see each other over the computer every night.” She cast him a devious smile.

  “It’s not the same as this,” he said, groping one large breast and wiggling it while attacking it with his mouth. The act made her squeal out in amused astonishment. This roused them again, leading into another session of love making.

  Chapter 3

  The Wednesday after Labor Day brought rain. To say Nita was pissed was a gross understatement. Her plane had barely landed when she received a call from the consignment shop. It was late afternoon and Shelly was at her wits end over what she deemed to be a catastrophe currently in progress. Once Nita arrived, she took in the scene and had to agree with Shelly. Her anger surged to levels that were not safe for the average human being.