Heart of Stone Emery and Jackson, Chiquita Dennie [top 10 non fiction books of all time txt] 📗
- Author: Chiquita Dennie
- Performer: -
Book online «Heart of Stone Emery and Jackson, Chiquita Dennie [top 10 non fiction books of all time txt] 📗». Author Chiquita Dennie
“Anthony’s not bothering you, again is he?”
Ignoring Brent’s question, I find myself drawn to the woman he’s holding tightly within his arms. He senses my discomfort and introduces me.
“Babe, this is Emery Stone, one of my oldest friends and VP of Accounting at Townsends. Emery, this is my girlfriend, Lauren Johnson.”
“Hi nice to meet you, Emery, Brent has told me so much about you. I feel like I know your whole life,” Lauren says as she extended her hand for a shake.
Feeling annoyance throughout my body at Brent shoving some new plaything down my throat, I plaster on a smile and shake her hand.
“I wish I could say the same for you Lauren. Unfortunately, Brent’s been keeping you hidden from his close friends since middle school.”
“Emery, it’s not like that. We dated a year ago and just reconnected a few weeks ago. Let me walk her to the elevator, and I’ll meet you in my office.” Brent walks off with Lauren following behind him.
Ten minutes later he walks back in with a look of guilt and aggravation from me peering into his eyes. He throws his hands in the air and moves toward the bar in his office and pours himself a glass of whiskey. To be drinking at nine in the morning tells me he’s under some stress.
“Don’t look at me like that Emery, it was her choice,” Brent says as he downs the drink and pours another one.
“Can you blame her Brent? You forced her to choose and you know she doesn’t like when anybody tries to control her. You of all people know she has abandonment issues.”
“I...I... can’t keep doing this dance with her. We’ve been on and off for over five maybe eight years if you include high school.”
Seeing the pain that Brent’s going through has me rethinking talking to him about Jackson. Taking a seat next to him on the couch I grab the glass out of his hand I take a sip of his drink.
“Ewww... that’s disgusting.” I spit out the contents of the alcohol while choking. Brent takes the glass out of my hand and laughs softly.
“That’s what you get for doing big boy things.”
“Whatever, have you seen her lately? I know she’s been working overtime at the shop and you know the anniversary of her being with the family is coming up. She needs all of us, Brent.”
“No.”
“Hear me out, I’m not saying you have to take her out or anything, but the family is throwing a little party for her to celebrate. We do this every year, and she wants you there.”
“I doubt that after the last time we spoke, I left her standing outside and went back to my date.” Brent stood up and placed the glass down on the table and walked over to his desk.
“Yeah, I was hanging with Jordan at her place when Angela stormed inside and told us. What the hell are you doing with Lauren of all people? Last time we talked you said she’s a stuck-up princess that doesn’t do oral sex.”
“Oral sex isn’t everything that matters to me, Emery. I’m getting older, hell we’re all getting older. We're reaching thirty, and Angela’s never going to change. I’ve shown her every part of me and supported anything she wanted or needed. All I ask is to be a family in return.”
I stood up, and we embrace in a hug before starting work. “Angela is different.”
“Give her some time. She’ll figure out what she wants.” Leaving his office, I decided to try one more time to call Jackson.
After finishing up my conversation with Brent and settling back in at my office, I try dialing Jackson's number. Before the phone could ring a text message pops up. Thinking it could be Jackson I hang up and check. Whose Jessica?
Jackson’s friend Jessica: Thought you’d like to know our man’s available for everyone.
I felt a punch in my stomach seeing a picture of Jackson, in bed with another woman with the sheet only covering his lower half. I know I shouldn’t be pissed but noticed the time stamp was two days ago when he took Dominique out. Furious is the safest word I could use for right now.
Me: You have me confused with someone else. Stop playing childish games on my phone. Oh... and tell Jackson he can go fuck himself.
Switching my phone to vibrate, I checked messages and caught up on some work I’ve neglected for the past few days.
Later that night, I decided to call the girls over to drink and vent about their problems.
Knock Knock Knock!!!
“Angela, don’t you have a key?” I asked as I opened the door to let her and Jordan inside. Both were dressed in pajamas and carrying bottles of wine. I grabbed one out of her hands and used the wine opener off the table.
“So, who broke your heart and how much is it going to cost me?” Angela questioned as she plopped down next to me on the couch, placing her feet on the coffee table.
“Check my cell phone.”
Angela scrolls through my messages as Jordan comes behind the couch and looks over her shoulder.
“Did you ask him if this is real? You know how people photoshop stuff,” Jordan said.
“He’s not my man. I could care less what he does.”
Angela rolls her eyes and starts texting on my phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Texting Jackson about this photo.” Angela stood up and walked to the kitchen.
“Don’t text him; I’d rather not deal with his excuses.”
“Too late, he said to call him,” Angela said.
Waving off her suggestion, I turn the TV on as Jordan lays her head in my lap.
“What’s your problem, Jordan?”
“Trying to decide if I should go out with Damon on a real date. After we made the whole family dinner with the kids, he persuaded me to a one on one,” Jordan replied as she sat back up again to take the bottle and chug some down.
“He must have really made an impression on you.”
“I shouldn’t be dating. DJ would get confused, and I can’t have him getting attached to anyone only to end up getting hurt in the long run,” Jordan said.
“Jordan you’re thinking too hard about this. It’s only one date. DJ only cares about cookies and pizza right now. I doubt he even remembers his name,” Angela replied.
I took the bottle out of her hand and poured some into my glass just as someone rang the doorbell.
Chapter 16 Jackson
I WAS ANNOYED ABOUT Jessica setting me up and Emery walking away at the first sign of trouble. Standing outside her apartment in the middle of the night to discuss Jessica’s handy work with the media was not my idea of a nightly visit.
“Emery open the door.”
“Go away, Jackson!” Emery shouted from the other side of the door. Ringing the bell and knocking louder, I suddenly hear the locks turning and see the door opening to Angela standing with her arms crossed and an icy glare in her eyes.
“I was hoping you didn’t turn into a douchebag like Brent,” Angela said as she let me pass by into the apartment.
“I was set up Angela, and everyone knows I can’t stand Jessica.”
“Huh, could have fooled me,” Emery says as she walks closer and stands in front of me with short silk pajama pants and bunny slippers on her feet.
“Nice slippers, Sweetness.”
I reach out to grab her hand, and she steps back and shakes her head no causing a sharp sting in my chest from the rejection.
“Hear me out.”
“I’ve seen enough, have a nice life with Jessica and whoever else you’ve been seeing,” She says and walks down the hall toward her bedroom.
Jordan and Angela both shake their heads as they leave.
“Give her a little space. When she gets like this, it’s best to stay clear. Emery tends to get disrespectful,” Jordan informed me before she walked out.
“I say just put her to sleep with some good dic—”
Jordan yanks Angela out of the door mid-sentence and I watch as both girls bicker back and forth toward their cars.
Debating on having a conversation or not with Emery is weighing heavily on my mind along with her fainting the other day in my presence. She passed it off as being dehydrated. Tonight, I’ll give her a pass and tomorrow we’ll have a conversation and lay everything out on the table. Heading to her bedroom, I noticed for the first time the cream-colored walls with hanging African art pieces and some quotes by Toni Morrison hanging on the wall.
Standing in her bedroom doorway, I took in the large king-size bed with baby blue sheets, gold posts with ropes across each railing. Seeing Emery under the colors with the sheet pulled over her head, I take my shoes and jacket off. Pulling the sheets back I get in bed and wrap my arms around her, and she tenses at my touch.
“Why are you still here?” She mumbled under her breath.
I kiss her shoulder and move her closer to me. “Go to sleep, Sweetness.”
We both fall asleep together. In the morning we’d discuss both our ex's and the latest scam to get me back.
...
Eight hours later we arrive at my Nascar race track. I decided to bring her here, so she can’t run away from me and we can keep all the outside noise away while having breakfast.
“Have you ever seen a race up close, Emery?” I asked as she jumped out of the passenger side door being stubborn once again.
“No, and I wasn’t planning on it today. Jackson you're going to try, and sweet talk me by waving your money around.”
“I’m hungry, and we have a meeting scheduled this week anyway, so we can just have it right now,” I said as we walked into the main building heading to the outside field.
“Is this how you got Jessica to fall in love with you?”
“Emery today is about you, Jessica lied and sent you those photos to make it seem like we slept together recently.”
“Huh...”
Shaking hands with my field agent and seeing my personal chef here. I wrap my arms around Emery and kiss her soft lips.
“Today is a beautiful day. Please hear me out Emery before you completely cut me off.”
“Depends.”
Assisting Emery with her chair to sit down, and I take the seat across from her. I can sense the awkward and harsh tone of how our breakfast will be.
“Depends on what?”
“On how good this food turns out.”
Chuckling at her response, I leaned over, and she met me halfway for a kiss on her soft plump lips. I thought about her other set of lips that I couldn't wait to have
Comments (0)