Tossing back the covers I get out of bed, throw on some gym shorts and make my way to the gym. Stepping onto the treadmill, I set it to my desired pace before popping in my ear buds; blocking out everything else.
***
“The new bouncers seem to be working out great so far. We haven’t had any of the issues we had with the old security team,” Cara the manager of my Los Angeles nightclub is saying as I maneuver my car through the streets of downtown.
“Great. Keep me updated.”
“Will do, boss.”
The call disconnects. As the owner of several establishments I make it my business to check in on all my clubs and restaurants at least once a week. Especially when I can’t be there. Even though I only hire managers, I believe I can trust it’s important to me to be as hands on as possible.
I can’t let my father down. I promised myself a long time ago that if he handed me the reins to his establishments that I’d do everything I could to make sure they succeeded. And so far, that’s been the case.
Just as I’m turning into the parking lot of Tempest my phone rings again. Glancing at the number on my dashboard, irritation slams into me.
Victoria’s calling me. Again.
She’s been calling daily for the past two weeks. And I’ve hit ignore, every single time. When it comes to people that I don’t want to talk to she’s at the very top of my list. Hitting ignore, on my steering wheel, I send the call straight to voicemail. I’ve got shit to do today and dealing with Victoria is not on my to-do list.
Chapter 3
AVA
The smell of popcorn permeates the air, filling my apartment with the smell of all the buttery goodness. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and a box of chocolate from my candy drawer before taking the popcorn out of the microwave.
This is a typical Friday night for me. In my apartment on the couch with food and all my pre-recorded shows for that week.
My apartment is a one bedroom, one-bathroom place right on the edge of downtown Chicago. It’s not ideal but it’s all I can afford right now. The truth is I hate living so close to downtown. This neighborhood isn’t exactly the best. It seems like every few weeks, there’s a news van around here covering a story of somebody getting robbed or harassed or worse. I’d rather be in the suburbs where it’s quieter and not as busy. After going to college in a big city and living there during those four years, I’ve learned that the city life just isn’t for me.
I take all my treats over to the couch and get comfortable. Just as the latest episode of Temptation Island is about to begin there’s a pounding on my door. I sigh. There’s only one of two people that would be banging on my door at eight o’clock on a Friday night. Getting up from the couch I rush over to the door as the banging continues.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I yell. I check the peep hole before throwing the door open.
“Not yet, but you will be before the end of the night if I have anything to say about it,” Lisa says as she barges into my apartment with Jayden close on her heels.
“Hey Av,” Jayden says giving me a kiss on the cheek as he passes by me into my apartment. His cologne is strong but not overpowering.
Lisa shoves a garment bag into my hands. “Get dressed, we’re going out tonight.”
“Out where?” I hold the bag in my hands. It’s then that I notice that they’re both dressed up.
Lisa is wearing a strapless black dress that hits her just above the knees and shows all her curves, with a pair of three-inch red heels. Her fire engine red hair is pin straight and hanging halfway down her back. Jayden is dressed in black slacks and a black button-down shirt that clings to his muscular upper body. His black curly hair is sticking up all over the place, per usual. But it’s a look that always seems to work for him, especially with the ladies.
To say they get a lot of attention from men and women would be an understatement. They each have the kind of beauty that stands out. Lisa with her red hair, tan skin, blue eyes and curvy frame and Jayden with his bronze skin, close cropped curly black hair and hazel eyes were extremely popular during our college years.
We met freshmen year in psychology class. We were paired together on a group project. In the beginning they did most of the talking. It was my first year out from under the foster system. I hadn’t made any friends and honestly, I didn’t really know how to. In the years leading up to finally getting out of the foster system, books had become my best friends.
I was already a quiet person by nature and being paired with two of the most popular people in the school on a project was nerve wracking for someone like me. On the first day we began working on the assigned project, Lisa invited us back to her dorm room and we worked for a while before she asked if we wanted to stay and watch Monday Night Football with her.
Jayden and I agreed and the rest was history. We bonded over our love of sports and Lisa got me hooked
