Sugah & Spice (28 page)

Once Sugah changed into her Keke Chanel original that Coffee bought her, she went back out to find everyone. She couldn’t wait to introduce them all to her mother. She spotted Mya in the distance and when Sugah saw that she was engaged in what looked to be a very heated discussion with Cappuccino, she wondered just how well the two knew each other. She suddenly thought about what Espresso had shared with her. Maybe they had been friends when he and she were together, she thought. But when they saw her watching them, they quickly parted ways. Cap walked in her di
rection with outstretched arms. He embraced Sugah and kissed her on e
ach
cheek. “Amazing, absolutely amazing, Sugah you are a natural. I cannot wait to see you in action again.”
He stood back admiring her and then reached for her hand and twirled her around for a better look. “Damn girl! You are fine as hell!”

Sugah’s skin crawled having his hands around her but she remained composed. She didn’t want to make him aware of her suspicions of him. She needed him to continue to plot whatever it was he was plotting against her, so that when the time came, she could take him down. “Thanks Cap. I appreciate you saying so. I was just getting ready to introduce everyone to my mother. Would you like to meet her?” Sugah asked the question after Cap finally released her to see his expression.

“I would love to but I have somewhere else to be. I have an event in a few hours
,
but I promise that I will meet her before she leaves town. Please give her my sincere apologies.”

“Oh…I didn’t know you had an event today, Cap. Well good luck with that. I’m sure she will understand and look forward to meeting you when time permits. Knock em dead,” Sugah said walking away never taking her eyes away from his. She too could play games and if he wanted to start a war, she was ready
for combat
to take him down. “See you later in the week,” she called out over her shoulders after finally turning her back to him.

‘
What a little bitch
’
, Cappuccino thought unable to take his eyes away from Sugah’s delicious looking ass. She was a beautiful woman, with an insane body. Too bad he played for the other team, he thought. She would have been all his. “Sure thing,” he called out. Mya was waiting for him. They were meeting up with Simone and Mark later to discuss their next plan of action. At first Cap hated lying, being the mole in the operation, but
his loyalty was with them. Coffee and the others were friendly enough inviting him to join them, but was it his fault that they never checked his background to see who he was connected to? Mr. X was his blood and blood was always thicker than water. Once Mya discovered their secret, she used it to blackmail him into helping her against Java, promising to tell everyone that he was into men. Cap wasn’t ashamed of whom he was, but he wasn’t ready for everyone to know yet. If and when he came out of the closet, he wanted it to be on his terms not anyone else’s, especially Mya’s. She would somehow use it against him, in the worse way possible to make everyone think he was a monster.

Cap thought back to when she walked in on him with Mark. He was much older than Mark, but the comprising position he had the young boy in was questionable, although nothing had happened. Cap was afraid and Mya knew it. She used that to her advantage to manipulate him every day following that day. Deep down he was glad she walked in because he couldn’t have stopped himself from molesting his brother/cousin otherwise. The fact that he wanted to get back at Mr. X for neglecting him and his mother had something to do with it, but Cap wasn’t
that person he was becoming. He loved and adored
his baby brother, but why weren’t he and his mother good enough? After learning who his father really was Cap wanted to be loved, accepted just as Mark. When his mother got killed in a horrible freak accident, that was never explained, he was sent to live that his uncle/father. The day before his mother suddenly died, Cap found out that Mr. X was
not
just his uncle but also his father, who didn’t want anything to do with him as his son. It was funny how things worked out, or was it? His mother’s untimely death plagued him each and every day. Cap wondered about what happened to her really, knowing deep down that his father had something to do with it. Was exposing the truth really worth dying for? If only he could talk to his mother one last time to find out the truth? But sadly, that would never happen. It just wasn’t possible. She was dead.

That was one of the reasons he didn’t want to meet Sugah’s mother. He saw the woman from a distance and she reminded him so much of his own mother. They could pass for sisters, but his mother never mentioned having any family. When their eyes caught glimpse of each other’s in passing just before the show, Cap could have sworn he saw his mother looking at him.
Yes, he needed to find out more information about Sugah and her mother, who looked so much like his own. He immediately shook those thoughts and feelings from his mind. He was on a mission and his full attention was required. He left the event with a million lingering questions running through his mind.

Sugah watched Cap struggle with something in the distance. He had something deep going on, but what? There was definitely room for a serious conversation. She found her mother, Mr. Blakemore and Espresso engaged in a deep discussion about Real Estate. She laughed because So was always about business and from the sound of it, so was Mr. Blakemore.
Her mother just smiled, pretending to know what the two men were talking about. When Sugah walked up she was relieved.

“So, I see you have met Espresso. Mom, this is the person I have been telling you about. He is like the brother I always wanted but never had,” Sugah said to her mother just above a whisper to keep from interrupting the men’s conversation. She and her mother silently waited until they finally took a breath and realized that they were still standing there.

“Yo…Sugah, you were great, girl! I almost jumped out of my seat at the end of each show like a proud parent or something. I didn’t know you were such a natural,” Espresso said swinging Sugah around in his arms.

“Put me down you big lug. I want you to meet my mom.”

“Oh, I have already met Moms and you were absolutely right. I am a goner. She is something.”
Espresso held his hand over his chest. “I have
fallen in love”, he declared kissing Charlotte softly on the cheek. The way Mr. Blakemore looked at him was deadly. Espresso quickly apologized to the older man and they both laughed it off, but Sugah saw in the eyes of one that he found nothing funny at all. Did everyone have secrets, she wondered.

Charlotte playfully punched Espresso on the arm. “
Stop it! Yes
this lovely young man sort us out and introduced himself while we were waiting for you to change. Sugah, he is a mess, but an adorable one if I do say so myself. No wonder you like him so much.
He is very charming.”

Espresso flashed his million dollar smile listening at Sugah’s mother speak highly of him. He was proud to be in such good company. “Aw, you stop it now,” he said blushing. Sugah couldn’t have guessed someone of his complexion could actually turn pink, but there he was grinning from ear to ear. She smiled enjoying the exchange between her mother and her
new
friend.

“Yeah Sugah, this young man is something else,” Mr. Blakemore chimed in. “He is very intelligent and knows his stuff when it comes to business too. I may have to check him out, if he continues impressing me with his knowledge and insight in Architecture design. Why have you been keeping him a secret?”

Espresso flashed that smile of his again looking from Sugah to my mother, back to Mr. Blakemore. By this time all the others walked up to join in the obvious fun. Coffee’s eyes locked with Sugah’s and felt his heart skip a beat. This little exchange didn’t go unnoticed by Charlotte Payne. She
smiled, seeing how much the handsome young man was smitten with her Sugah. Once the formal introductions were over, everyone jumped right about conversation. They all enjoyed each other’s company, deciding to go for
lunch
the following
day
. Sugah had other events to attend that night and didn’t want to p
ar
t ways, but knew that her attendance at a few of the after parties had been part of the assignment.

Sugah was happy that her mother and her new family
seemed to
like one another.
That helped her get through the next few hours going from club to club shaking hands, giving hugs and kisses, and booking several new contracts for the organization. Coffee was in attendance at each event, watching in the backgrounds just in case something went wrong and he had to step in and rescue Sugah. She was truly a natural for the business. All of the men wanted to know her, while all the women wanted to know who she was. Java worked each room introducing Sugah to all the right connections. She was enjoying being with Sugah. Her presence was intoxicating, yet soothing. She made whomever she came in contact with feel important
and comfortable
, giving her undivided attention. Sugah hated whenever she was speaking with someone and their attention was focused on something or someone else. She never wanted to make anyone feel that way, and she was keeping that true.

Java stood to the side while Sugah engaged in business with the city’s elite. The girl was impressive. She was a gem, a diamond in the rough. Yes, they had made a great choice in recruiting Sugah. Just as the last party was about to end, Java gasped. There he was, watching her. Mr. X nodded in her direction. Java wanted to run and hide, all the while wanting to bash his skull in at the same time. He was mocking her and she didn’t like it.

Sugah followed Java’s gaze, resting her eyes on a beautiful specimen of a man. Was that the one who stole Java’s son away from her? How could someone who looked so perfect be so vicious? He was handsome in every sense of the word. His smile was charming, and his eyes were mesmerizing. Sugah couldn’t bring herself to take her eyes off him. His sk
in looked bronzed, flawless with perfectly trimmed facial hair. His freshly shaved bald head lit up the room. He had chiseled features, nice white teeth and a tall frame that appeared to love visiting the gym. He was dressed with class, yet not too flashy. Sugah’s eyes traveled down his body, dwelling on his feet, which looked long and skinny. She suddenly thought of Coffee. Mr. X was gorgeous. No wonder Java had been
so
in love with him. He was all that a man should be and then some. When his eyes caught her, Sugah quickly turned away from him. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea, or upset Java more than she already was by seeing him.

“Java, are you ready to go? I promised my mom that I would attend church with her in the morning, and it is way past midnight. I need to get home and try to at least get some rest.”
 

Java, finally able to take her eyes away from Xavier, looked at Sugah. She glanced at her cell phone, and nodded. It was late and yes, the crowd was dying down. They could leave without anyone objecting. Sugah’s work here was done. “Sure thing just let me tell Coffee we are ready to go and I’ll meet you at the car.”

Sugah nodded in agreement and turned to make her way out the door. She didn’t see the man who was unable to take his eyes off of her. He was interested, more than a little bit. She was way above what he had originally thought from the first time he saw her.
She had to become his, and if there was one thing Xavier knew how to do, it was
how
to get
something
he wanted. He suddenly thought about Java and how beautiful she looked. Why hadn’t he loved her back when she loved him unconditionally? They were the perfect power couple, but he was threatened by her. A strong-minded woman was a weapon, and Xavier saw firsthand how his father had been through the ringer by his mother and her betrayal. He vowed to never allow any woman access to his heart that way. When he met Java, he fell hard before he was able to do anything about it. When she became pregnant with their son, he knew that would be the only way to get her to walk away. Taking their son away from her was the only way to protect himself, the told himself. He lived with that decision daily, and because of who he had become, he couldn’t admit his wrong doing. All he had was his power, respect and money. He told himself that
those things were the only things that mattered, but now that he was older, he wondered if that was enough. Java was the best thing to happen to him and he messed it up. Even if he wanted to fix it, it was too late. She would never forgive him. Besides, those bitches Simone and Mya were back and he had to make them pay for what they did. He couldn’t lose focus by clouding his mind with his past. Yes, some things were better off the way they were. Java was his past. The young woman in front of him would become his future.

Xavier gathered his thoughts and moved on. He had things to do and people to see. When he got his hands on Simone and Mya, they would wish that they had never joined forces against him. He knew that they had help, but whom? Never could he have guessed someone so close to him.
He walked away plotting his next attack against two of the ruthless women he knew. But realized he needed help because no matter how ruthless they were, he had made them that way.