“I’m sorry to bring Quinn up. Please accept my apology.”
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t wish her condition on anyone you love. She’s still exhibiting extreme paranoia and delusional thoughts. I don’t know what they’ll do for her at this point.”
“It seems like only yesterday when I witnessed her receiving awards for her work in the community. She discovered solutions for everything. My prayers are with you and her for her recovery.”
Olivia took Blair by the hand to offer sincere comfort. Once again, his well-pampered life showed by the lack of callouses and softness of his palm. Her eyes darted across his face to assess if he appeared okay with their discussion.
“I appreciate it.” Blair squeezed Olivia’s hand. He held it a moment before letting it go.
“You know what? I’ll go visit her. I’m sure she would benefit from seeing a familiar face,” Olivia suggested.
“Uh. No. You can’t see her.” Blair rubbed the back of his head where hair remained.
Olivia stared at him in surprise at his sharp response. “Why not? It’ll be therapeutic for her.”
“Not in this case. I’ve restricted her from having outside visitors. She isn’t well and I’m sure she’d be embarrassed for anyone in her circle of colleagues to find her in this state of mind.” Blair’s firmness in his voice correlated with the frown on his face.
“Oh. Okay. As you wish. I’m trying to help in any way I can.” Olivia waved her hand to dismiss her offer.
“Well, um, help by staying away from her,” Blair snapped. “Focus on yourself right now.”
“Well, excuse me.” Olivia’s skin prickled from his attitude. She cleared her throat and tried not to take his rudeness in a personal way. “Yeah. Sure. You’re right. Look. I’m sorry if you think I’m out of order. I’m not trying to pry into Quinn’s privacy.”
“You’re fine. I know you have good intentions. You better get going.” Blair inched closer to the door. His voice had gruffness, which wasn’t there before. Let me know if you need anything.” Blair switched to his prior personality before the mention of Quinn.
Olivia noticed the tension left his face. She relaxed and figured he must be a wreck about his wife’s state of mind. “You don’t know how much it means to me to have you be here for me. Thank you.”
Blair’s eyes softened and he patted her shoulder. “Whatever you need. I’ve got you covered. Forever. Have a good night.”
Olivia left the office still ticked off by his attitude about her suggestion to visit Quinn. She brushed it from her mind for the time being.
NINE
Savvy
The Friday night wine enthusiasts packed into the posh, upscale bistro wine bar. Bright colored leather couches and chairs made for lounging added to the sexy vibe. Local artist’s latest projects decorated the walls, with price tags attached for purchase. The crooning voice of a man above the tinkling keys of a piano mingled with the sound of champagne corks popping and animated conversations.
Savvy arrived thirty minutes early to secure a table for four. She glanced at her phone to check the app which contained the pictures of the two guys they were to meet. After scanning the room, she didn’t see anyone who appeared to be them.
Her phone rang in her hand and an unknown number popped onto the screen. She pressed the button to answer. “Hello?”
“Hello, beautiful. I’ve been thinking about you since I’ve been on the road.” Kolby’s sultry voice boomed into the earpiece. Music blaring in his car, in addition to the sounds surrounding her, made it difficult to hear him speak.
Savvy pressed the phone to her ear. “Oh, hey, Kolby. How are you?” A smile spread across her face.
“I’m good. Rolling up the highway and hoping to pick up our conversation where we left off on Monday.”
Savvy frowned. “Kolby. I’m having trouble understanding you. Turn your music down, please.”
The music through the phone was reduced. “My bad. I didn’t know you could hear it.”
“Yeah. It sounded like a rap concert in your car,” Savvy laughed.
“Music keeps me awake when I’m on these roads.”
“Get off the highway to buy coffee if you get sleepy,” Savvy suggested. She glanced at the front door as people continued to file in. No sight of Olivia or the guys.
“I’ve gone through two cups already. I’m hoping you’ll talk to me for the rest of my trip. I have another hour to go before I get to Dallas.”
Savvy crinkled her brows. “Talk to you for an hour? Kolby. I’m in a bar right now waiting for friends to arrive. I’ll stay on the phone with you until they get here. We’ll have to catch up later.”
“Oh. You’re in a bar? You don’t look like the type of girl who hangs in bars.” Kolby’s voice had a slight edge to it.
“It’s a bistro wine bar. Classy and upscale. Not a hole in the wall kind of place.”
“Of course. You’re too good for a hole in the wall. Someplace fancy. I get it. You and your girls having a night out?” Kolby replied, his tone inundated in doubt.
Savvy ignored his question. “One of my classmates from FAMU owns it. It’s nice and they get a good crowd here.”
“Fammoo? What’s that?”
“FAM-U.” Savvy emphasized the U. “It’s where I attended college in Tallahassee. FAMU is short for Florida A&M University.”
“Oh. Yeah. Okay. I see y'all bitin’ off Texas A&M.”
“No. They’re two different schools altogether. Nothing in common at all. FAMU is an HBCU that stands for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”
“I know what an HCBU is. I ain’t stupid,” Kolby said with sudden sharpness.
Savvy turned her head to the side and released a long breath. “Umm…that’s H-B-C-U,” Savvy corrected “I wasn’t implying you were stupid. Sometimes people don’t know what it is. I apologize if I offended you by explaining.”
“No problem, sweetie. Well, since you’re busy with your college friends, I’ll hit you up later. What time will you be home?”
Savvy didn’t like how Kolby’s personality changed to one with a
