CHAPTER 13

 

 

Sherita had just made a cup of green tea when she heard knocks at her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone else tonight. Emily had just left about thirty minutes ago. Had she come back? Did she forget something? She scanned the living room. She hadn’t seen anything Emily could’ve left. Then again, maybe it wasn’t Emily.

Sherita walked up to the door, peered through the peephole and saw Dante standing there. She frowned. Dante? What are you doing here? He’d never been by her apartment before, not even with Emily, but now he was here, alone, suited up like he’d just left the office. She glanced at her watch. It was a few minutes after eight.

Opening the door, trying to hide her disbelief, she said, “Hey, Dante.”

“Hi, Sherita. Forgive me for showing up like this, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”

“Oh, umm…sure. Come on in,” she said, stepping aside watching him walk inside of her living room. He made her living space look small with his tall stature and build.

“I just made some tea,” she said after watching him sit on the sofa. “Want some?”

“Sure. I’ll take a cup.”

Sherita hurried back to the kitchen, poured Dante a cup of tea and was right back in the living room where he was sitting. “Here you go,” she said, stepping back into the living room, placing the cup on the coffee table in front of him. She joined him on the couch.

“How was your day?” Dante asked her.

Miserable. “It was okay…Emily just left here about a half hour ago.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. We were just chatting about things. Women things. And now, you’re here. What brings you by my humble abode?”

Dante shot her a half smile. He, too, realized this was the first time he’d ever visited her apartment. “Well, I’ve found myself in a bind, and I need your help to get out of it.”

“My…you need my help?” Sherita asked, confused. She had no ties to The Champion Corporation. Why would he need her help?

“Yes. I need your help. We have a multi-million dollar deal on the table and it all hinges upon Desmond.”

Sherita snapped her head back. “And what does that have to do with me?”

“Well, the client we’re partnering with on this project is one of those old-school guys…you know…he likes to do business with stable, family businessmen. I think he’s been married for over twenty-five years, and he views marriage as stability.”

“And what does that have to do with me, again?” she asked in an uncertain, uneven tone.

Dante caught her gaze and smiled. In his opinion, Sherita was perfect for Desmond. And it’s not like he was playing matchmaker. Desmond already expressed interest in her. He was just helping him along the way, thereby helping her. “Wait…let me pause for a moment and ask this…what happened between you and Desmond Friday night?”

“As soon as you guys left, we got into a rocky conversation, then later we went to a park. After that, we came back to your house, fed the babies, ate dinner…argued…I went to sit on the deck to relax…he came out there, and we actually had a nice conversation for a change. Then, out of nowhere, he gets up from the table and heads out the front door. We argued more right before he threw on his helmet and took off.”

“Just out of the blue?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“What were you guys talking about? Do you remember?”

“Umm…right before he stood up and walked away, I had asked him why he’d never been in love.”

“Oh. I see.” Dante thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t thought about it before, but he couldn’t recall an instance where Desmond had ever been locked down with a woman. Had Desmond really never been in love? “Well, here’s the situation. If the deal is going to go through, we need Desmond to be married.”

“What?” she asked frowning.

“And since this businessman in question saw you and Desmond together at a park on Friday, he assumed you were Desmond’s wife, and I’m convinced it’s the only reason we got the contract. Therefore, I need you to agree to marry Desmond.”

Sherita stared at Dante as if he was speaking another language, one in which she couldn’t decipher. “You have got to be kidding me, Dante.”

“Actually, I’m not.”

She shook her head. “Well, I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m going to marry Desmond. No…way.”

“Sherita—”

“No, Dante. I can’t, and please don’t try to convince me otherwise. Desmond has some serious issues, and I have enough problems in my own life to have to put up with him. I can’t.”

Dante sighed heavily. “Sherita, we’re talking fifty-million dollars here. Do you know what that kind of money will do for The Champion Corporation? I know Desmond can be difficult—”

“Difficult? That’s not a strong enough word to describe Desmond.”

Dante sighed. “You’re right, but we need this to happen.”

Sherita shook her head.

“I’ll even pay you.”

“Pay me?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m thinking a million dollars should suffice.”

“A million dollars,” she said, taken aback at his generous offer. “Dante, I’m not taking any money from you. You are like a brother to me. Emily is one of my best friends…you guys are family to me.”

“Then what do you want? What will it take for you to say yes to this?”

Sherita thought about it for a moment. What did she have to lose by helping her friend’s husband out of a bind? If the tables were turned, Emily would surely do it for her. “Did you already talk to Desmond about this?”

“I did. He’s on board as long as you are.”

Sherita dropped her head and after burying her face in her hands, she said, “I’m sure I’ll regret this, but I’ll do it.”

Ecstatic, Dante leaned over and gave her a hug. “Thank you, Sherita! I really appreciate this.”

“So, what do we need to do to get this done?”

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow over dinner at my house. I have to make the family aware of what’s going on, so they’ll all be there. Then we’ll lay out the details for you and Desmond.”

“Okay. What time tomorrow?”

“About 6:30 p.m. In the meantime, if you could jot down a few things about yourself that Desmond doesn’t already know, that would be great.”

“What kind of things?” she inquired.

“You know…things that someone you’re just meeting might ask over dinner, like where you guys met…how long you’ve been married…that sort of thing. Oh, and by the way, we’re going to say you’ve been married for two years, so keep that in mind.”

“Two years. Got it.”

“I have to run,” Dante said standing, “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, Dante. See you tomorrow.”

Sherita shook her head. What did she just agree to? How long was this marriage supposed to last? And would she have to live with Desmond? The thought of it gave her a nervous, unsettling feeling in the pit if her stomach.