“Cool. So, since you are still out in Philly, do you want me to look into some investment opportunities in that area?”
“Nah, not yet. Instead, focus on Colorado. I’m thinking about opening up a few resorts.”
“Finally! I’m telling you; tourist spots are where the money is.”
“I never said I was going to stop making homes for families.”
The line became silent. I knew Vincent was probably cursing me out on mute, but I didn’t give a damn. If he wanted to open up his own establishment and setup overpriced tourist locations, then he was more than welcome to. I, on the other hand, wasn’t changing. The only reason I wanted a resort in Colorado was because I wanted an affordable and family friendly vacation spot. I knew what it was like listening to the other kids in school bragging about spending summers on the beach or at some fun family resort. My goal was to have the option for every low income family to live comfortably and be able to enjoy a vacation every now and then.
“Anything else, Vincent?”
He huffed out a heavy sigh. “Mr. Adalyn, you are missing out on so much untapped money. If we can focus on raising the standards some and reaching the market with a higher tax bracket, we wouldn’t have to keep working.”
“I don’t do this for the money! There are people out there who genuinely need help and don’t need greedy people trying to overcharge them just to have somewhere to sleep comfortably.”
“I understand, sir.” Vincent bit out before disconnecting the line.
I shook my head with a laugh as I placed the phone back into my pocket and sat back down at the table. Vincent may be a disrespectful prick sometimes, but he knew how to do his job. As long as I kept him at a distance, then he was fine in my book.
“So, Seo,” Denice said, resting her arms on the table. “What’s your plans?”
“My plans?” I asked, arching my eyebrow.
“Yeah! So, I may have been eavesdropping a little and heard you had to start a family.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Okay and?”
“Well,” Ashlynn chimed in. “There’s this client that comes in every two weeks asking about you. She’s our height with honey brown skin and she keeps her nails and hair done. Oh, and she’s single with three kids so you’ll have plenty of practice raising a child. You just have to be careful with one of her baby daddies because he a little throwed off, but other than that -”
I shook my head. “Hold up, ladies. First off, I don’t mind dating a woman with kids, but I don’t do baby daddy drama.”
Ashlynn nodded. “That’s understandable. I told her that I’d at least mention her to you, and I didn’t want to block. Plus, Belinda is cool people and beautiful, but she can be a little…”
“Easy!” Denice interrupted before taking a sip of her drink.
“No!” Ashlynn laughed, swiping her friend in the arm. “I meant, she just falls in love easily.”
“Poor baby doesn’t know how to distinguish between a genuine connection vs someone who’s just trying to get in between her legs.” Denice sighed.
“Exactly and I know that feeling all too well.” Ashlynn huffed before giving us a tight lipped smile.
I’d heard bits and pieces of what Ashlynn had gone through with her ex-fiancé, Bobby. I wasn’t the one to pry – if she wanted to talk to me about what happened then I’d listen. As for what they were trying to do, I was good. I didn’t have time to worry about some woman that would be all in my space. My mind was on onething right now and I didn’t need to be distracted. Now, I didn’t mind a woman temporarily warming my bed for a night or two, but that was it.
Ashlynn cleared her throat. “Anyways, I wanted to help her out. I’ve been giving her advice in hopes she’ll learn from my past. I know that I am not perfect and went through a rough patch seeking validation from everybody else instead of practicing self-love. I can admit that I did stupid things and put up with a lot of bullshit, but thankfully I snapped out of it. Anyways, I’ll keep praying over her with faith that God brings her the man for her. I’ll do the same for you, Seo.”
I huffed out a laugh which cause the pair to look up at me. “I don’t deserve your prayers, Ashlynn. Besides, love isn’t in the cards for me. I mean, marriage is but it’ll only be out of convenience. It’s what I deserve.”
Her eyebrows scrunched together. “Everybody deserves true love, even if it’s temporary. I don’t know everything you are going through or have been through, but don’t talk down on yourself like that. You are fighter and protector. So, what you’ve done some unspeakable things in the past? That does not get to determine your future.”
I smiled at the pair as I excused myself from the table. I wasn’t trying to be rude, but I did not want them attempting to play match maker. Even if I did want love, what good would that do me? Love causes pain and leave you in the middle of the night. Love can shatter your heart into a thousand pieces. There were so many nights I watched my father hold my mother’s pillow or wait up for her as if she were coming back. But she never did. I’d rather marry because of convenience than go through that type of pain. While I waited to settle for whoever the contract bond me to, I’d keep my clip loaded and continue my hunt.
Chapter 14
Addison
Istepped off the plane and stretched. I enjoyed flying but hated how tiny the seats were. I had way too much hips and ass to be trying to squeeze into those miniature seats. I wanted to upgrade to first class but of course Bruno would tell Mr. L since he had to fly with me. Normally, I wouldn’t give a damn, but they didn’t know I had money saved up. As soon as I would have upgraded my seat, I would have been asked a million and one questions about where I got the extra funds. I was going to keep my bank account secret as long as possible. If I couldn’t convince Mr. Adalyn to help me, it was all I had left to escape.
After retrieving our bags, Bruno led us to a black on black Lincoln town car. A short young looking man, probably in his early twenties, was standing next to the trunk with a sign that read Bruno’s name. I arched an eyebrow with realizationthat Mr. L must’ve sent for us. I inwardly groaned. I just wanted to go to my hotel and shower off the airlines, but I didn’t have much of a choice.
