Page 28 of Nikki Sinatra: For Her Lover
“Want me to text the secretary’s phone number to you?”
“Jerome’s secretary? No. I have his number. I’ll call him directly to make sure this isn’t some prank.”
“Who would prank that big?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll look into it. Thanks Tee,” she said, they said their goodbyes, and Roz ended the call. And looked at Teddy.
Teddy smiled. “I’ll be damn. That’s like you working with Denzel Washington or George Clooney or somebody of that caliber. That’s how big this is, Roz. You know he’s Sir Alan Kincaid now? He was knighted. One of only a few black British actors to receive that honor And he wants to work with you. How do you feel?”
“Don’t know. It depends on what he has in mind,” Roz said.
But then Teddy sat upright. “The door’s opening,” he said quickly, and Roz looked over at the trailer where Teddy’s gaze was fixed. And sure enough, the door had opened and Nikki and a shirtless, muscular guy stepped out onto the stoop. And they hugged each other.
Teddy frowned. “What the fuck?” He began angrily unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Wait, Teddy,” Roz said as she grabbed his arm. “Confront the man, not Nikki yet. You don’t want to confront her without the facts.”
“Wouldn’t you jump out of this car and confront Pop if he was on some woman’s stoop hugging her?”
“Your father has given me ninety-nine-thousand reasons to be suspicious of his ass. Nikki hasn’t given you any.”
“I told you she’s staying out later and later at night.”
“You are too and have been throughout your entire marriage. Don’t go at Nikki with that stupid stuff. See what the guy has to say first.”
Teddy listened to Roz and watched as Nikki and the guy said their goodbyes, Nikki walked down the stoop and got into his Corvette, and she drove away.
As soon as she left, and after the man had gone back inside, Teddy got out of Roz’s Bentley and began making his way to the trailer. Roz quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her gun out of her glove compartment, got out, and hurried behind him. She knew the kind of temper Teddy had when he was backed into a corner. She was going to make certain he didn’t get backed into any corners.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When Teddy realized Roz was following him up to the man’s front door, he frowned. “Are you serious, Ma? I told you to stay in the car. Pop is gonna kick your ass if he finds out you was in this neighborhood this time of night to begin with. And now you’re out of the car following me? Pop is gonna kick your ass, Roz.”
“No, he’s going to kickyourass. Then he’s going to kick mine. Either way, our asses are getting kicked. So what’s the big deal?”
Teddy, who would usually laugh at her joke, didn’t even crack a smile. “But only if he finds out,” he said.
“Which he won’t,” Roz said.
And when they made it up the steps and to the front door, Teddy banged on the door as if he was the Police and the man seen with Nikki on the stoop opened the door quickly.
It was Juda. “What bitch banging on my door like that,” he started complaining until he saw who was standing at his door. “Ahshit,” he said and tried to close the door back just as quickly as he had opened it. But Teddy used his shoulder to force it back open and he barged his way inside. Roz went in behind him.
As Teddy grabbed Juda and ran with him until he shoved him down on the sofa, Roz closed and locked the door. Teddy pointed his gun in Juda’s face. “Still think I’m a bitch, bitch?” he asked him.
Juda held up both hands. “I no speaka English,” he said with a heavy accent he didn’t display when he opened that door yelling at them.
Roz laughed. “Give him some gun, Teddy. I’ll bet cha he’llspeakathat.”
“Anybody else home?” Teddy asked.
The man shook his head.
Teddy pressed that gun to his temple and cocked it. “Anybody else at home?”
“No! Just me. Nobody’s here but me.”
Roz, with her Magnum at her side, went to make certain.
