Night of Seduction (51 page)

Kerri touched
her daughter
’
s arm before she
opened the door to the studio. Siri turned to her and Kerri had to
smile.
“
You look absolutely radiant. I
’
m so happy
to see my daughter loving her life again.
”

Siri reached
over and hugged her mother.
“
Thank you, Mother. A
few months ago I would not have believed I could be this
happy.
”
She sighed and released her mother.
“
But now, I can
’
t imagine my life any
other way. As soon as Jason and TK get home this weekend,
we
’
re setting a date for the wedding.
I
’
m going to marry that man and have his child. I
couldn
’
t ask for anything more.
”

“I
’
m happy to hear that.
Is Eric in here?
”
Kerri asked as she opened the door
and walked through.

For a minute
Eric did not look up, he continued to write something down. He then
stood and hugged Kerri.
“
Did I thank you today
for your daughter?
”

She returned
the hug.
“
No, it
’
s my turn to thank
you for bringing her back to life.
”
She sighed.
“
I need you both to have a seat.
”

The two looked
at her strangely, but did as she asked.
“
Is everything
alright, Mother?
”
Siri asked.

“I
’
m not
sure,
”
Kerri replied as she pulled out the envelope and
gave it to Siri.
“
This came special
delivery today.
”

Siri took the
envelope. Seeing the address, she frowned.
“
I guess
Maybelline is trying to get me fired for what I
said.
”

“What did you
say?
”
Kerri asked.

“That she was a
lonely pathetic old woman that was secretly in love with her
son,
”
Eric answered for Siri.

Siri
laughed.
“
That is not what I said. Well, not exactly in
those words.
”

“It was close
enough,
”
he laughed.

Kerri was
relieved to see that the blow to Siri was not as severe as she
thought it would be.
“
You realize that this
letter means she
’
s convinced the board
to at least have a hearing about it.
”

“Yes, I
know.
”
Siri replied as she read the notice.
“
I have to appear before the board on charges of
…
...
”
she hesitated then frowned. She
looked up at Eric then back to her mother.

“What is it
Siri?
”
Eric asked with a concerned look on his face.
When she did not respond, he took the letter and finished reading
it.
“
Indecent Exposure?
”
he continued to read
the letter as Siri sat with her eyes closed shaking her
head.

Eric picked up
his blackberry from the music console and dialed
Ty
’
s number.
“
We are going to need
you in Richmond right away. Are you free?
”
he asked
calmly.

Siri stood and
walked out of the room. She walked over to the window that
overlooked the James River. Kerri walked behind her. She rubbed her
daughter
’
s arms and stood beside her.
“
We need
TeKaya to come home and beat that woman to a
pulp.
”

Siri looked at
her mother and began to laugh. When she finished she simply shook
her head and sighed.
“
I have never met this
woman and yet she has caused more problems for me than she did for
TK and TK
’
s the one that took her man.
”

“Well, not
really,
”
Eric said from the doorway.
“
Technically, you took her man.
”

“What?
”
Siri turned and asked a little
confused.

He walked over
and stood near the window with the women.
“
The night Latoya
was arrested she stated that I was her original target. Her plan
was to meet and seduce me into a relationship with her. She blames
me for all that has
“
gone
wrong
”
in her life for the last four years. She turned
to Jason as a backup, so to speak.
”

“What do you
mean you were her target?
”
Siri
asked.

“When
you
’
re in the business, some women put themselves in a
position to get close to you in any way they can. There is not a
place I go to perform where I don
’
t have my choice of
women. My father taught us to be careful when choosing women. I
learned the lesson a little too well for Latoya. I recognized her
game the minute she walked in the door. Now, because of that you
are paying the price. I
’
m so sorry,
Siri.
”

“You keep
saying that and it is so unnecessary. You can
’
t control
what that woman does, no more than I can control what Maybelline
does. They are going to have to answer to a higher being. In the
meantime, I can
’
t allow them to steal
my joy.
”
She kissed Eric.
“
We
’
ll go to
the school board meeting on Friday. Hear what they have to say and
if I lose my job
—
so be it. Just like
before, it will give me time to concentrate on my book and my new
family.
”

Kerri looked up
at the two and knew they were going to be okay. But, there was no
way she was going to allow Maybelline Austin to smear her daughter
again without payback.
“
How would you two
like a home cooked meal?
”

“What did you
have in mind?
”
Eric asked.

“Well, I
couldn
’
t help but notice that state of the art kitchen.
Mind if I have a run in it?
”

“Not at all.
Need some help?
”
Siri asked as she pulled away from
Eric.

He watched as the two women walked out of
the room. Turning back to the window, he looked out over the river
and wondered how he could turn all this turmoil into something
positive.

♫

Friday morning,
as they arrived at the School Board office for the hearing, Eric
wanted to leave an impression. Eric
“
Silk
”
Davies was not just any man in
Siri
’
s life. He was going to be her husband and a force to
be reckoned with from this day forward. After her mother left the
evening she
’
d brought the letter
over, Eric had another visitor, a jeweler. He picked out the ring
he wanted to present to Siri when he officially got down on his
knees and begged her to be his wife. Yes, he
’
d told her
and she
’
d said yes, but now he wanted to ask
her.

The next day,
he had a romantic dinner prepared for the two of them on the
riverside balcony. Just as the sun set, very close to the first
time he
’
d laid eyes on her, he serenaded her with a song
he had written just for that moment, got down on one knee, and
asked her to be his wife. The moment was so perfect; it brought
tears to her eyes as she accepted his ring and his proposal. Now,
they stood together outside the boardroom doors, hand in hand ready
to face whatever was coming their way.

Ty had another agenda. His agenda was to
satisfy the two women who would have his head if he failed at his
mission: Kerri Kendrick and Miriam Davies. Apparently, Kerri called
Miriam and invited her to the dinner she was preparing for Siri and
Eric. When he boarded the plane heading to Virginia, he was
surprised to see Miriam there waiting for him. On the flight to
Richmond, she was very specific as to what she and Kerri wanted to
take place at the school board meeting, as well as the upcoming
court case against Latoya. All he could think as he watched Eric
and Siri talking was that he was very happy the two mothers liked
him, for he would not want to be an enemy of either of them.

Eric stood
rubbing Siri
’
s back.
“
Are you nervous?
”

“A little. I
just don
’
t know what to expect from Maybelline.
I
’
m sure she is going to try her best to humiliate me.
Not knowing what she has is a little scary.
”

“Whatever she
has, we will work through it together. Just remember that and this
will be over soon.
”

“Ms. Austin,
the board will see you now,
”
a woman
announced.

Together, Eric, Siri and Ty walked into the
boardroom. As they looked around Siri recognized all of the members
of the board, Roscoe Ford was there as the principal, and of course
the ever persistent Maybelline as the complainant. The meeting
began with a reading of the complaint and the request for Siri
Austin to be removed permanently from her teaching position.

The floor was
turned over to Maybelline to state her case. Just before she began,
the doors opened and Carl walked through. He took a seat near Siri
and gave his mother a look she could not decipher. She turned and
began to address the board.
“
A few years ago a
complaint was brought against Ms. Austin for indecent behavior with
a minor, specifically a young man that was her student. The young
man came forward and recanted his original claim against Ms.
Austin. We find ourselves here again, in a situation involving Ms.
Austin, regarding her behavior of a sexual nature; bringing into
question yet again, her fitness to teach our children. When she was
reinstated, it was clearly indicated by this board that we
expected, in fact, demanded her behavior be of high moral standing
if she wished to remain in her teaching position. Unfortunately,
indisputable evidence has come to light that leaves this board no
alternative than to request that Ms. Austin resign from her
position or be released without the possibility of
reinstatement.
”
She paused and took a quick glance at
Carl.
“
Since this information will no doubt be all over
the internet soon, I don
’
t feel it is
inappropriate to show in this forum. I direct your attention to the
front monitor.
”

All eyes turned
to the monitor where the first picture of Eric and Siri
appeared.
“
Turn that
off!
”
Eric shouted. The pictures continued. The second and a
third appeared and just as Eric made it to Maybelline, Carl stood
and shouted for her to turn them off. The look he gave his mother
would have burned most men where they stood.
“
It is
beyond my understanding why you felt it necessary to show these
pictures to this board!
”

“The board has
a right to see what type of person is standing before our children.
It is our moral obligation to ensure that the teachers behave in a
manner that is representative of what this board stands
for
—
integrity, and moral decency.
”

“Yet this board
is content to stand here and watch picture after picture of a
couple during a very private moment. How decent of you. This is
your way of embarrassing Siri. Did you ever think what this would
do to me?
”
“
May I address the
board?
”
Ty stood.

“Who are
you?
”
A board member asked.

“Tyrone
Pendleton, I am Ms. Austin
’
s
attorney.
”

“Yes, you have
the floor.
”

“It
’
s amazing to hear you
speak of decency yet you put on a display of photographs that
continue to invade a person
’
s privacy. I would be
very interested in knowing how you came to be in possession of such
personal photographs. However, I have what I believe to be a more
pressing issue. Ms. Siri Austin has been harassed by your board
member, Mrs. Maybelline Austin for the last two years. I can only
believe it
’
s personal. What I
can
’
t fathom is her using this board to carry out that
harassment. There have been numerous occasions when Mrs. Austin and
Mr. Ford have threatened Siri Austin and I am prepared to bring
witnesses to that effect. However, I am one that believes in an eye
for an eye.
”
Ty walked over and requested the
remote from Maybelline as Eric returned to an obviously distressed
Siri.