Page 21 of Abra's Acquisition
“But I can’t afford…” she starts, but I lay my finger against her lips.
“This is my treat. I figure I owe you for the crap Erickson pulled.” I gesture toward the door. “Shall we?”
“You don’t owe me…” she starts, but I shake my head.
“Please?”
Rey reluctantly passes me and heads for the store. I rush to open the door for her. Inside, a young woman in her early twenties greets us with a broad smile. She’s dressed as if she’s going for an interview in a purple pencil skirt and a lavender sleeveless silk blouse.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Montague. I understand you’re looking for several pieces of casual wear. My name is Celeste, and I’m here to help you find whatever you need. How about we start with jeans?”
Celeste gestures toward the display of jeans. As Rey moves in that direction, I stop Celeste.
“She’s going to be stubborn and won’t want to buy very much. I want to spoil her. If she shows an interest in anything, grab it in her size. Can you do that?”
Celeste grins at me. “Don’t worry, I understand what you want. Cleo filled me in.”
Knowing Rey is in good hands, I step outside to shoot the breeze with Levi. I also look up the address of the nearest salon that specializes in African American hair.
Two hours later, the door opens, and Celeste peeks out. “Rey is in the dressing room getting dressed in one of the outfits. She believes it is the only one you’re buying. I have everything ready.”
Grinning, I step inside and follow Celeste to the counter, where two other impeccably dressed women are folding clothes and placing them in bags. Celeste finishes tallying the total just as Rey steps out of the fitting room. Her mouth drops open when she sees Levi gather the numerous bags before retreating outside.
“What did you do?”
“I bought you clothes. Now, we have one more stop to make and then I’m taking you out to dinner,” I say, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “By the way, you look fucking amazing in that outfit,” I whisper into her ear. She’s dressed in a pair of black jeans with a dark red shirt. She’s classy, gorgeous, and altogether much too fuckable.
Levi’s gone by the time we exit the shop. Celeste is careful not to say the total out loud so Rey can't hear it. I have a feeling she’d melt down if she knew how many zeroes were in the total. But she’s worth it. We make a quick stop at the salon. The appreciative look she sends me has me grinning all the way to the restaurant.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: REY
I stew all the way to the restaurant. Not even the thrill of riding on the back of Abra’s bike calms me. However, where we stop is enough to provide a distraction. Francois’ is one of my favorite restaurants. I can’t always afford it, so I only come here on special occasions. I open my mouth to protest, but Abra plucks the helmet off my head and leads me inside before I can voice my concerns.
“Have you ever eaten here?” he asks, holding the door open for me.
“Yes, it’s one of my favorites. It’s also costly,” I warn him.
He smirks at me.
“Ah! Mr. Abra, it is so good to see one of Cleo’s men,” Francois says, greeting us with a smile and a flourish. “Do you want Ms. Cleo’s table or would you prefer to sit indoors?”
“Cleo’s table will work,” Abra says. “I need some of your time, if you have it.”
“Of course, of course. Anything for the Demon Dawgs. I heard you rescued Lydia. I can’t tell you how grateful we are for what you’ve done.”
“The men haven’t been back, have they?” Abra asks.
Francois shakes his head, but frowns as he leads us through an archway at the far side of the patio. I gasp when I seethe beautiful secluded space. A single table sits in the center, surrounded by a garden. The tall hedges block out the noise of the street.
“This is amazing,” I say, smiling at Francois.
“My secret garden for my special customers,” Francois says. “This is Miss Cleo’s favorite spot.”
“I can see why,” I say, sitting on the chair Francois pulled out for me while Abra takes the seat across from me.
“So, you’re no longer being harassed?” Abra asks Francois.
“Not by those men. No. But there was a woman who came in yesterday. There was something off about her. She asked after the men. She implied that she knew I was paying protection money to them and insisted that she was taking over the transactions.”
