Chapter 54
David missed Sheba but knew that going back to Shreveport to handle the sale of her house was something she had to do on her own. He felt that once she was able to close the door to her past, they could truly move forward in their relationship.
David looked at the folder on Joyce that Garrett had given him earlier. He picked up the phone and dialed the number written in big red letters on a page inside the folder. “Joyce, I understand we’ve come to an agreement.”
She sounded muffled on the other end but said, “Yes, we have.”
“Good. Well, my wife’s in town, and she would love it if you would make a special point of apologizing to her personally about what you’ve done. She would appreciate it, and so would I.”
“But that wasn’t part of the agreement,” Joyce responded.
“Consider it a bonus on my part. Now, she’s there for a few days, and I hope to hear from her soon that you apologized. Got to go.” David hung up the phone.
Garrett’s man had convinced Joyce to stop talking to reporters by offering her a substantial amount of money, but what really did the trick was when they confronted her about her past drug use, which could possibly be the information her ex-husband needed to win custody of her two kids. Once she realized her back was in the corner, she quickly signed the papers stating she would keep silent from that day forward. David stared at her signature and closed the folder. He filed it away in the filing cabinet located near his desk.
David could have wrapped up his work and called it a night, but since Sheba was out of town, there was no need for him to try to get home early.
“I was hoping I would catch you,” Wade said as he walked through the door.
“Have a seat.” David pointed to the chair across from his desk.
“We need for you to do an interview for Business Week Today. Can you do it as early as tomorrow?” Wade asked.
“The purpose of this interview?” David asked.
“Our investors need to know that DM King Media is solid. There’s no need to focus on anything personal. State the facts, and that’ll reassure our investors and advertisers that we’re solid.”
“Fine. I can do that. But tell me, what do we do about that?” David stood up and walked to the window and looked down.
Although he was on the top floor, he could still see people standing outside his office building. “They have been out there all day, holding signs and talking to anyone who will listen. I’m trying not to cause too much of a ruckus, because it’ll only bring more bad publicity, but, Wade, I need for you to make sure they are removed from the premises pronto.”
Wade said, “It’s eight o’clock at night. You would think they would have gone home already.”
“You would think. But since they are still here distracting others, get them removed. I don’t want to see them when I get here tomorrow. Understood?” David said as he grabbed his laptop and placed it in the case.
“Yes, Mr. King.”
“Now that we have that understanding, you have a good night. Don’t work too late.”
David locked his office right after following Wade out into the hallway. He dialed his driver. “Meet me in the back. I want to avoid the crowd out front.”
“Yes, Mr. King,” his driver replied.
David took a long hot bubble bath after he got home. The heat helped ease the tension in his muscles. He moved his head from side to side as he exercised the pressure out of his neck.
He was drying off when his cell phone rang.
“Guess what just happened?” Sheba said from the other end of the phone.
“What?” David responded as he used the big towel to dry off.
“Joyce stopped by the house and apologized for everything. I don’t know if she was sincere, but she sure groveled. I don’t know what you did, but thank you.”
“You’re welcome, my dear.”
“It won’t erase the pain she’s caused, but to see her apologize really caught me off guard. She’s never liked me.”
“I’m sure she won’t be a problem for us ever again.”
“I hope not. Because I haven’t always been saved. I would sure hate to resort back to my school training and knock her out.”
David laughed. “I can’t see you hurting anyone.”
“Please. I can fight. I don’t like to fight. I never looked for a fight, but if one found me, I did what I had to do. See, growing up, some girls were jealous of me and were always trying to pick a fight with me. One girl tried to slash my face with a razor, and I beat her like her whole family stole something from me.”
“I better sleep with one eye open. Don’t want you having a flashback moment and hurting a brotha.” David laughed.
“Ha-ha. I’m just saying. I’m glad she apologized, because now maybe, just maybe, some of this mess will die down.”
David sighed. “Well, dear, I didn’t want to say anything, but earlier today and well into the night, there were some people outside my office building, picketing. They were saying that they won’t buy the products advertised on my stations.”
“They are taking this too far. It’s just not right.”
“I’ve dealt with picketers before. It’ll all go away.”
“There has to be something we can do. You know what? I’ve been avoiding the press, but maybe it’s time that I come out of the background and set some stuff straight.”
“Sheba, you have to think about the baby. You’re not to be put under any kind of pressure.”
“It’s more stressful trying to avoid reporters. If I talk to the press, it’ll be my pick who I talk to.”
“I still don’t think it’s wise,” David responded. “You don’t know them like I know them. They can be cutthroat. My competitors have found an opening, and that’s through you, my dear.”
“David, let’s get something straight. You didn’t marry a weak woman. Yes, I let some stuff get me down, but that’s life. I’m not going to sit back and let these people continue to talk about me without doing something.”
In a shaky voice, David said, “I’m just worried about you and the baby. I don’t want anything to interfere with your health.”
“I think this is best. Otherwise, I’ll feel like I have no control. This way, I have some control. Then they can take what I say and do with it whatever they will.”
David still didn’t agree but would support Sheba on her decision. “Fine. Let me know who you want to interview with, and I’ll have it set up. But there’s only one condition.”
“And what’s that?” she asked.
“If the reporter asks you something and you feel uncomfortable about it, I want you to take the liberty of getting up and walking away.”
“David, I got this. You just set it up. Now, dear, this baby and I are tired, so I’m going to get me some sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
David prayed that Sheba doing the interview wasn’t a bad call. Sheba was new to the spotlight. He wanted to please her, but maybe he should follow his gut and forbid her from doing the interview. He laughed out loud. Sheba had a mind of her own, so she would get her interview with or without his help. It would be a smoother transition if he helped.