ESTELLE
“Hey. Please, come in. I’d been so excited since last week.” Willa was so carefree. Her eyes always lit up, and she met you with a huge smile. At least, that was how she showed me.
“Hi.” We kissed each other’s cheek as she welcomed me into her art gallery. The entrance instantly showcased a few signature pieces by some well-known artists. “I took Micah with me. Micah, this is Willa Linden.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Friend of Estelle is a friend of mine.” She began showing me inside the gallery. Some were intriguing pieces, bold paintings, and sculptures.
“Interesting.” But one painting caught my attention.
“You like it?”
“Yeah.”
“Knox has his way of creating bold colors. His technique is an illusion, three-dimensional. Do you know Mykel?”
I turned my head at her. “Mykel Creed? I don’t personally know him, but yeah.”
“You will meet him soon. He comes to see the guys when he’s not busy. How’s my brother?” She knew something. I could see it in her eyes.
“I’m meeting him over lunch.”
“I see.” She smiled.
“Join us.”
“And be your third wheel? No way, and I don’t think my brother would appreciate ruining your date.”
“Then come to his home on weekends.”
“His new house?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know the story behind that new house?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“It’s Moses’ gift.”
“Wow. Really? He gave Gabriel that house.” My eyes grew big.
“He has a soft spot for my brother.”
“That’s true. I saw how he looked at him. Maybe he just wanted to have more children.”
“My brother is good with him. He admires that man. Can I offer you a wine?”
“Just sparking. Wine for Micah.”
Willa told her assistant, then noticed my bodyguard, Qamar, had just got inside. “Gabe takes your security seriously. I also have someone watching my ass, and I pretend I didn’t notice him.”
“That’s Qamar and those other guys who follow me everywhere.” I pointed outside.
“My brother has his way of showing how he cares about someone. He can be domineering, but he has a good heart and is selfless most of the time.” She gave me a glass of sparkling water and a glass of wine, Micah.
“How did you get into arts?”
“I’ve been a curator for a while, but after my nasty divorce, Cenric and Gabe offered to fund my passion.”
“I’m sorry.” I saw the pain in her eyes before it disappeared. I touched her arm.
Again, she smiled. “I was young and stupid.”
“We all had that one stupid moment.” I chucked because I had experienced it at hand, and now I got knocked up, and my baby daddy still didn’t have any idea I was carrying his child.
“My brother, too. I’m just happy you found each other. He smiles more often now.”
I couldn’t help but smile before I drank my sparkling water. “I was thinking of shooting our campaign in your gallery if you allow us. Of course, your gallery will be compensated and get a credit.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She looked surprised.
I shrugged. “I’m giving you a lot of time to consider. I promise they won’t touch you’re setup, and we will cover the damages. It will be included in the contract.”
“Are you kidding me? I don’t need time to think. Yes.” She did with a little exaggeration of her hands.
“Really?” I was also surprised that she agreed pretty quickly without hesitation.
“What’s the concept?”
“Diversity.”
“I love it.”
“We’re preparing for our next launch of cosmetic products and new activewear collections. The baby products, maybe, will come later next year.”
“You’re really good at what you do.”
“It’s a team effort,” I proudly said.
“You run Star LLC, your mother is the CEO and its subsidiary, and you are still here when someone could just come over and approach me.” She laughed. “Sorry, I kindly googled you. And I thought you’re pretty badass.”
“You’re a badass too, Willa. You have been through a lot, yet you stood up from that fall, and now you’re here doing your passion.”
“I’m gonna throw my brother into the deepest sinkhole if he won’t put a ring on that finger.”
Our voices echoed in the entire shop as we laughed.
***
“You got a reservation just this morning?” I was impressed as he ushered me to my seat.
“Yup.” Linden kissed the top of my head before he went to sit across from me. “I know the owner.”
“I see.” I was about to say something, but I held it.
“What is it, baby?”
Before I could reply, the waiter came. “I’ll be your waiter for today. Would you like to order now?”
“Sure.”
“Wine is complimented by the chef,” said the man who came to us in a white shirt and pants.
Linden shook to laugh before he rose from his seat. “Hey, Pops.”
Oh, boy. My smile faded. I wasn’t ready to meet his father, but here we were. I should have known better. Now I see the uncanny resemblance. He wasn’t kidding when he said he knew the owner. I just didn’t think it was his father.
I stood up and smiled. I suddenly felt shy because he was now standing before me. “Hi, I’m Estelle. It’s good to meet you.”
“I heard a lot of good things about you, Estelle. I know you well before I even meet you.” He hugged me instead of just a handshake. “I’m so pleased to meet you.”
“Thank you. You have a nice restaurant, Mr. Linden.”
“Oh, drop the formality. Call me Jaymes or Pops, honey.”
“Jaymes. I was just with Willa earlier. You raised two good children, sir.”
“I’m proud of them. Anyway, I wouldn’t take much of your time. Order what you want. It’s on me.”
“No way. Join us. I’d like to know more about your son and can’t wait to hear about his embarrassing moments.”
Jaymes was a cool father, the opposite of what I had, but I couldn’t change that, but be a good woman he raised.
“Come on, Pops.”
An hour later, we were still laughing while Linden did nothing but shake his head in amusement. The food was amazing. I’d never eaten too much that I almost said no to dessert. Linden’s ears were getting redder when his father told me during his high school days.
“Really? He’s chubby?” I looked at Linden. He had mixed emotions but didn’t stop his father from oversharing or walking out like other people who got embarrassed by their parents.
“I was overweight at that time, but already taller and got bullied all the time.”
“He put everything in his mouth that I cooked or brought from the restaurant I worked for. And maybe his hormones. He didn’t even date anyone—”
“Okay, Pops. You’re oversharing.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, son.”
“Oh, yeah? You just told my girlfriend ten of my most embarrassing and awkward moments.”
I smiled. My heart went a little wild when he just called me his girlfriend. Now we officially had a label. “So, Jaymes, did you meet the girl that broke his heart.”
“Estelle,” he said with a fond smile.
“Come on. I wanna know about her,” I said with a shrug.
“You’re gonna be late for your meeting.”
“How do you know I have a meeting?” I checked my watch. “Oh.” I was thirty minutes late. “I didn’t know I’d been laughing and talking to you for almost two hours. It’s been a while since I had fun, Jaymes.”
“Come and visit me sometimes, Estelle.”
“That can be arranged, sir. It’s really nice having lunch with you.”
At the car, Linden went awfully silent.
“You’re mad?”
He put his hand on my thigh. “Why would I?”
“Because I asked a lot about you.”
“And that would make me mad? You make my father laugh. I never heard him laugh that loud like you two were just talking at home on the couch with a cup of tea. Thank you.” He did a little squeeze on my thigh.
“I had fun. You have a wonderful father, Gabriel. You’re lucky. Willa is also amazing.”
“Did she also make fun of me? My family has their way of embarrassing me in front of the people we care about.”
“I think that’s the best thing. If you think it would change my perspective of how I see you. You’re wrong. I think beyond that broad chest, slab abs, and hard biceps. You have a lot of good things in you.”
“Don’t make me cry.” He faked, wiping his tears before he squeezed me into a hug.
Linden didn’t send me up to my office. He was afraid that I would be late for my meeting with the creatives.
“Micah?” I didn’t find her on her desk where I dropped my bag. But I was more shocked to see who was sitting at my desk.
My mood soured. “What are you doing here, Klayton?”
“I’m so sorry, Estelle. I tried to stop him.”
“It’s okay, Micah. Go home and spend time with your boyfriend, Qamar.”
She gripped my arm, hoping it was her cue that she got my message because my panic button was in my bag on her desk.
“I’m here to see my future wife.”