Chapter 9
Drake
“You just had to choose this car, huh?” Wyatt asks.
I ignore him and try to school my features. I need to calm down, but my heart won’t stop its erratic beating. I don’t understand why. It’s not like Carter will be there today. My private eye sent pictures from a few hours ago of him being dropped off at daycare. I let out a deep breath when my driver turns down her street. It’s not the safest neighborhood. I can only imagine the fuss Nia’s going to make when I tell her she has to move, but I only want the best for my son.
“Have you told your fiancée yet?” Wyatt’s annoying voice pulls me out of my own head. When I remain quiet, he says, “You can’t possibly be serious.”
That’s another conversation I’m not looking forward to. Carter was conceived before we began our relationship. I’m not a cheater, and she should know that, but things are going to change now that I’m a father.
“We’re here, Mr. Paradise.” My driver Bertram holds the door open for me, and I slide out. It’s a cold February morning with angry gray skies.
“Remember what I said. You’re not here to make demands or throw your weight around. Try being nice. Maybe smile.” I stare at him. He gives an exaggerated smile and says, “Something like this. Now you try it.” I turn away from him and ring the doorbell.
It takes her a full two minutes to open the door. I don’t know if it’s a power move or if it’s due to being fifteen minutes early. She’s colder than the March morning standing on the other side of the door. There’s no smile or warm greeting. When she doesn’t invite us in, I take it upon myself and step inside. Wyatt follows me, and Nia zeroes in on him.
“You brought a lawyer, Paradise? Of course, you would.” She crosses her arms, and the temperature dips more.
“I’m Wyatt St. James.” He offers Nia his hand, but she doesn’t shake it.
“Are you a lawyer?” she asks.
“Yes, but I’m here as a friend.”
“Sure, you are.” She eyes Wyatt up and down before she turns her back on us and gestures for us to follow. I didn’t get a chance to look around yesterday when I was here, but the house is bigger than I thought it would be. It looks like it was recently renovated and painted. She leads us to a formal dining room and tells us to sit.
The room is nice and decorated with warm earth tones, but right now, it might as well be a thousand degrees below zero. I hear a door open and high heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
“Ni, where are you?” a soft voice asks. The tiniest woman I think I’ve ever seen joins us in the living room. I doubt she’s an inch over five feet, and her round glasses appear to be bigger than she is. She comes to a complete stop when she sees us sitting there. She pushes her glasses back with her index finger. “Ah, I assume this is him.” She gestures at me while facing Nia. Then she clears her throat and says, “And he brought a lawyer.”
She hands Nia a Starbucks tray with two drinks. She takes off her coat, and she’s wearing a navy-blue pantsuit. I notice that Wyatt sits a little straighter as he assesses her. Her hair is in one braid, and it’s wrapped like a crown on her head.
“Well, now you look like a lawyer too,” Wyatt stands and offers her his hand. Unlike Nia, she takes it and gives him a firm shake. “I guess it takes one to know one. I’m Wyatt St. James. Yale Law School graduate.”
“Hmm,” is all she says before she drops his hand and turns away from him. “I’m Audrey Nash, and I’m Ms. Nash’s legal counsel.” Audrey. She’s the only one in Nia’s family who knew about me back then.
She puts her briefcase, which probably weighs more than her, on the table and makes a show of opening it.
“Full disclosure; I’m only here as a friend,” Wyatt says. “It would have been nice if you brought coffee for everyone.”
“Friend,” Audrey says. “Of course.” I can tell she’s not convinced. “So, tell us why you’re here and what it is that you want, Mr. Paradise, so my client can go on with her day.” She clears her throat again and sits down. I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t so serious. She looks like she needs a booster seat.
Nia sits next to Audrey and looks straight ahead, not meeting my stare. She’s as beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on her. I remember wanting to kiss her then, and that hasn’t changed. Unfortunately, our circumstances are drastically different now. She’s a duplicitous little liar who is trying to gaslight me. There’s a part of me that refuses to believe that. The Nia I knew for all those months is as far from a liar and manipulator as a saint is. Her worst flaw is that her feet were always cold. That and the fact that she’s the worst singer I’ve ever heard.
Audrey stares at Wyatt while she waits for an answer. Nia still won’t look at me. I clear my throat to try and gain control of the room.
“Mr. St. James is a Paradise Construction attorney. Family law is not his area. I’m here in good faith.”
“Of course,” Audrey says. “It’s just that of all the, um, friends you could have brought, you chose an attorney.” She coughs after she says friends.
“That’s just a coincidence,” Wyatt says with a wide grin.
“Bottom line,” I begin, looking directly at Nia, “I have a son. You never told me about him, and I want to get to know him.”
Nia’s eyebrows shoot to her forehead. She stands so abruptly, her chair falls over. “This is over.” She walks out without another word.
“Mr. Paradise, please address me and not my client,” Audrey says. “As to your allegations, my client denies them. She informed you of her pregnancy, and you told her you were not interested in being a father to her child. After that, you refused to communicate with her, and you used a proxy to speak on your behalf.”
