The Desert Lion's True Colours
Read The Desert Lion's True Colours Online
Authors: Ikechi Hayden
THE DESERT LION’S
TRUE COLOURS
IKECHI HAYDEN
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© 2012 by Ikechi Hayden. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Published by AuthorHouse 07/03/2012
ISBN: 978-1-4678-8986-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4678-8985-8 (e)
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Contents
For my Princess Jazmine
You are always in my thoughts,
forever in
my heart.
W
ith warm water running down his face, Leon raised his head up from the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He had got home at 4:00am that morning and passed out on the bed next to Kerry - his girlfriend of just over three years - However it was now 5:45am and he was trying his best to shake off the effects of the night before. Unwanted bags had formed under his eyes, which despite the hour forty-five minute rest, were still heavy and dark. His usual firm, chocolate skin looked puffy and uneven in colour and the two days stubble randomly sticking up through his face was not doing him any favours.
Leon kicked off his boxers
-
leaving them where they landed and pulled him-self away from the sink and into the shower. With his arms raised and hands pressed up against the tiled wall in front of him, he let the steaming hot water beat down onto his weary shoulders. It was the closest thing he could get to a massage for now, to ask Kerry to rub him down after his late appearance would be the same as setting her up for murder.
The water was just hot enough for him to bear and the tiny pulsating streams of H2o were starting to do their job. Trying his best to relax, he stood motionless for a whole ten minutes; however the repeating mental video of the night before was putting his athletic, 6'1, 190lbs body under strain. He had said no to the cocaine, but yes to the marijuana. For work reasons he could not leave the State of Florida so he said no to the T.I concert in Atlanta but yes to the Young-Money after-party on Miami Beach. He gave a resounding no to the hookers but a sly yes to the strip club. Then when it was time to leave he refused to give into peer pressure and said no to the two ecstasy pills but reluctantly said yes to the three flaming Sambuca shots
-
which now left him with arguably the worst hangover ever. To make matters worse, his work day was going to be filled with meetings, one of which was with the head of his department. It was not going to be easy to hide his body’s rebellion to the weed and liquor he had plied it with, less than twelve hours ago. He was already on his 2
nd
written warning, so today was going to be like walking a tight rope.
Leon raised his head to allow the water to fall directly onto his face and with both eyes closed; the corners of his mouth gave way to a smile. Not because anything was actually funny but because of the weird irony of his current situation. If it were a different time or maybe if he was a different person with a different life, then last night would have been great. Unfortunately,
-
depending on what day you asked,
-
he was not living another person’s life and he definitely was not happy. Sure he caught a few laughs, chilled with his boys and flirted with the half-naked women who flitted around him however that is not where he wanted to be. If he had a choice he would have kept his promise to Kerry and been at home making love to her. Regrettably, he did not have a choice, the moment had passed and it was now 6:00am on a Friday morning and he was already late for work.
He stayed in that position for another five minutes before actually lathering up in an attempt to wash away the unmistakable Miami club smell of weed, cigars and liquor. Ten minutes later he was back in front of the mirror
-
dry, with a white Ralph Lauren towel wrapped around his neck. Now looking half decent he smiled at his reflection and said ‘Now that’s more like it.’
As he reached down for the toothpaste, something caught his attention in the mirrors reflection to which he immediately turned to see Kerry, curiously peeping round the door of their en-suite bathroom.
‘Good Morning.’ She said.
‘Morning’ Leon replied hesitantly.
Still mostly behind the door she said ‘What time did you get in,
this
morning
?’
Leon let out a sigh and turned back around to face the mirror. He knew the question was going to be coming, so he simply replied ‘I’m not sure, three
-
maybe four.’
Leon waited for the usual disappointed reply and speculative stare to be aimed at the back of his head but nothing was said in return and no look was given. Surprised by her silence, Leon turned around to see if she was okay but she was already gone
-
disappeared back into the bedroom and under the covers of the bed they only managed to share for an hour forty-five minutes that morning.
Tired and agitated Leon shook his head. His relationship was suffering and he had nobody to blame but himself. If things were going to work between them, he had to not only tell her the truth about what he did for a living but change his whole way of life.
Making
a
change
;
-
Leon thought about that for a moment but as fast as the thought came it was gone. Change was not an option. He hung his head low and let his shoulders drop as all the reasons why the current status quo had to stay intact.
Within thirty minutes he had shaved, got dressed, left the house and was on his way to work via a minor detour. Apart from the several meetings scheduled for him to attend, today was the last opportunity he had to broker a deal with one of the richest men in Miami – Pyro, an immigrant from Cuba. For all accounts and purposes he was a self-made man, an entrepreneur, someone who knew what it meant to start from the very bottom and work his way to the top. According to the rumour mill he was known to be ruthless in the boardroom and to some, just as brutal in the streets. However none of that was of any concern to Leon
-
not today.
As he pulled into the parking lot of his building he thought about how much longer he would be working there. He was going to be thirty-six in a couple weeks and the thought of it made him feel old. In his line of work it was becoming the norm for the forty plus generation to be given their walking orders and get replaced by twenty-three year old mini versions.
Leon shook his head from side to side and let out a sigh. The work day had just started but all he wanted to do was go home to Kerry and fall asleep. Exiting his Mercedes he remembered her saying she had a special evening planned for his birthday. He smiled at the thought of that. Yeah, he was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but he also knew that one: his career was not going to allow that to be possible and two: resigning was not an option
-
not now. He had goals he needed to achieve and his job was the only way to make them possible. Shaking his head, Leon let out another sigh and under his breath mumbled ‘Something has to give.’
