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10:35 A.M.
New York, NY—74th Street and 5th Avenue Residence of Naim Butler
In a pencil skirt and blouse, strategically unbuttoned, cleverly exposing tanned cleavage, Sinia parked on the edge of Naim’s mahogany desk. “Tables are for asses...you know the rest,” he said blinking, shaking his head and smiling. They were in Naim’s sophisticated home office and the tension was thick. He folded his hands and placed them on the desk in front of a wireless keyboard. Pulling off his glasses he said, “Despite my instructions you’re here. Unannounced.” He leaned his head to the side, chastising her with his bold eyes.
“Ginger, sent me in. I mean, I am the mother of your only begotten son. At least she recognizes and respects that,” she said seductively un-crossing and re-crossing her smooth, long legs.
He imagined her whipping out a cigarette, lighting it, taking a long puff, and then blowing rings of smoke in his face. Homage to a seventies call girl.
Naim Butler’s office was painted baby-blue with high navy-blue colored ceilings. Two chandeliers lit up the room along with antique sconces. Behind his custom-made six-feet mahogany desk, he sat in an expensive executive chair. Diplomas decorated the wall behind him.
“Are you implying that I don’t respect you?” he asked, standing. He walked to a vintage credenza and snatched a pastry from a silver tray on top of it. He took a bite and finished chewing, before asking, “Crème brûlée? I had them delivered this morning from the baker.”
“Flowers from the boo, Brandy?” she asked, ignoring his offer. She ripped a petal from one of the roses, poking out of the arrangement on his desk.
He grinned, plucked the card from the bouquet and passed it to her. He took another bite of his dessert. “We have a great son, huh? The one thing you’ve blessed me with. See, because I am teaching him valuable things early, he sent his father’s congratulatory flowers.” He sat on a Chesterfield sofa across the gargantuan office. Far enough away, he thought. “Why are you here?”
“The Feds took forty thousand dollars cash from me,” she replied deadpan.
“Then, you should be at their office.”
“They implied that I could be trafficking cash. Little ole me,” she said, pouting.
“Doesn’t sound criminal to me,” he said and heard his cell phone buzz. He ignored it.
“My point exactly,” she said, standing. She walked to where he was, sat on the over-sized arm of the sofa, allowing her elbow the rest on his broad shoulder for balance.
He chuckled. “Sinia, why are you here?”
Staring out of the floor-to-ceiling window, she sat silently before falling gently into his lap. Her derriere landed perfectly on his pelvis. She snuggled her head on his shoulder, tossing an arm around his neck.
Naim kept his hands pressed on the sofa. His palms were wet from sweat and he felt his neck becoming moist with Sinia’s tears.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked tenderly, keeping his hands to himself. He wasn’t falling for any of her womanly traps.
“I really need you and you treat me so coldly. Like trash,” she cooed, raising her head, looking into his eyes. His cell phone buzzed, he ignored it again. The sight of her tears forced him to unearth courage reserved for physical threats. There was no way he’d allow her tears to convince him to say goodbye to his fidelity to Brandy Scott. Returning her deep stare, he said, “I simply asked why were you here. It’s a fair question, Sinia.” He knew how powerful it was to call a woman by their name during a conflict.
“Do you realized how rude that is? Your delivery is horrific.”
Do you realize it was your boyfriend that tried to kill me? he thought, but lacked the bravery to tell her that. “Sinia,” he said gingerly, “the government took money from you. Why?”
“You’re still dismissing me, but I’m going to get to the point, because I know I’m not really wanted here.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. You’re not.
She glanced at the floor. “I arrived at JFK two days ago with the cash to give to Marco. Homeland Security searched my carry-on bag, found the money, and confiscated it.”
“They didn’t say why?”
“Vaguely. Claimed I was stopped because I booked the flight hours before takeoff and didn’t check any bags.”
“That’s bullshit. You don’t look like an Arabic woman to me,” he said, realizing how racist and discriminatory his comment could be interpreted.
“Tell me about it.”
“So...” he began and then fell into a silent stupor.
“So, I need you to get our son’s money back,” she said, looking at him again.
“Where’d the money come from?” he asked with a hint of suspicion.
She caught the shade dripping from the question. “Drug sales,” she replied, smirking condescendingly. “Some of it was pulled out of the bank last week. Some were from my home safe.”
“All legal?”
“You’re an ass.”
“I’m asking questions as an attorney, not your friend.”
“Of course, it’s all legal,” she said, kissing his lips. “This doesn’t have to be so formal.” she wiggled on his lap, looking to arouse him.
Ignoring her advance, he said, “OK, I will look into it. I need the bank withdrawal receipt of bank statement to prove the legitimacy of the funds. For them, not me. And the contact information of the people responsible.”
“It’ll get the statement printed from online banking,” she said, running a finger down his chest. “You don’t love me anymore?” she asked over the sound of an unceasing knock on the door before it opened.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Ginger said frantically.
Naim pushed Sinia from his lap. Why the hell did have her on my lap for so long? “What is it, Ginger?”
“It’s Marco, sir. He’s at the Columbia University Hospital. Amber tried reaching you by phone twice already before she called the office line.”
Naim was grabbing his car keys before he asked, “Did she say what happened?”
“Oh my God,” Sinia said, fixing her clothing.
“He’s been shot.” She watched her boss freeze. He was usually in command of his emotions, but she witnesses him internally losing it. “It’s all over the news.”