Page 12 of Mr. Blackwood

5 – CAMILLA

“I still can’t believe that you inadvertently met the man you’ve been chasing. Is he everything you thought he would be?” Shana asked.

I was having brunch at G.R.I.T.S. in Decatur with Shana and Courtney.

“Girl, he’s worse than I expected. I can’t believe he had the nerve to treat me that way.”

“At least he took you home when your car service canceled on you.”

“It was the way that he did it. He could have gotten out and introduced himself. Instead, he had his driver to get out and convince me to take the ride because building management wanted to ensure I got home safely. He never told me that building management was Mr. Blackwood. I climbed my ass in that car, and who’s the first person I saw?”

“That fine Mr. Blackwood?” Shana asked.

I sucked my teeth. “Yeah,” I mumbled.

“All I want to know is, is the man as fine as I’ve heard he is?” Courtney asked, propping her elbows on the table and leaning forward.

My sister was all for the juicy gossip, and she loved details.

“I’m telling you how this man behaved badly, misled me, was rude to me, and that’s all you have to ask? Is he fine? Can we be serious for one moment, please?”

Courtney sighed. “Fine. Seriously, is he fine and single?”

I rolled my eyes, dropped my fork and knife, and gripped the edge of the table before I replied, “Yes, he’s fine. The man smells good, and he dresses like a million bucks. He’s got a deep sexy voice, and charm and sarcasm oozes from him. Is that what you want to hear?”

I thought about the custom suits he wore both times I encountered him and the designer Italian leather shoes. I noticed that he didn’t wear ties, and his shirt was always unbuttoned either one or two buttons. I hadn’t seen it the first night because it was so dark, but the night he took me home, I saw the single silver chain with a capsule holding what appeared to be ashes. I didn’t tell them any of that though.

“Quit being like Mom, Cami.” Courtney narrowed her gaze and stared at me.

“How am I being like Mom, Court?” Our mother was a famous actress who had starred in several movies. She had made her name from acting in a long-standing daytime drama during the late seventies, eighties, and nineties.

“You’re being dramatic, like you’re starring in a movie,” Courtney explained. She waved her hand to call our waiter.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I replied and turned my gaze to my best friend who chose that moment to snicker.

“Can we please get more mimosas?” Courtney asked the waiter when he showed up at our table seconds later.

“Sure. Do you need anything else refreshed?” he asked, low-key flirting with my sister based on the way he kept smiling at her and showing her all his attention.

“No thank you, honey. Just the mimosas,” Courtney stated.

I waited until he walked away to speak. “Someone has a crush on you. Look at you, got these little high school boys drooling over you.”

“Chile, please. Ain’t nobody thinking about that child. Besides, he’s at least a college junior.”

Shana and I both guffawed. Courtney covered her mouth and giggled too. When we finished, I asked, “Now, where were we?”

Shana answered, “The dramatics like your mom.”

“Yeah, I don’t get it. How am I acting like her?”

“You might wanna try letting go of the table edge. Next time, don’t throw your fork and knife down,” Shana explained.

“You guys, I’m being serious. I have a real issue here,” I whined.

“And what’s that?” Courtney asked.

“The man owns the freaking building I’ve leased, I need the space, and my landlord is an arrogant, pompous jerk.”