“Very,” he responded and reached into his nightstand. From it, he pulled a small wad of hundred-dollar bills and handed it to her. “Your tip is included in that payment. Go and get dressed. I have to leave soon.”

  She smiled big and took the money from him. When she got out of bed and got dressed, Adrian stared at her voluptuous body. It was then that he realized that he didn’t remember her real name. She was just a chick he’d met on Instagram. Bad as hell, pretty face, nice body. He could see her surgery scars and assumed she had a BBL. That didn’t matter to him though. He wasn’t trying to fuck her. He just wanted some good head. Women on the internet always acted so above certain things, but dangle some hundreds in their face, and they were down to do anything.

  “Maybe we can do this again?” she said hopefully when Adrian walked her to the front door of the condo.

  “Hssss,” he hissed, making a face. “About that. I have a policy that I never see the same woman twice.”

  “What?” she asked, clearly confused.

  “Look, Selena—”

  “Sonia,” she corrected him tersely.

  “Whatever. You’re nice and all, but I just wanted to get my dick sucked. You got some money out of the deal, so we both won.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “I’m not actually. I just have certain boundaries that I don’t cross. And one of them is not dating women who suck dick on the first meetup. Have a good day.”

  He opened the door for her, and she stomped through it. He watched, amused, as she made her way to the elevator at the end of the hall. Adrian had another rule: while women were on his floor, they were his responsibility. It was his duty to make sure they made it to that elevator safely. After that, his job was done. When she got into the elevator and turned to see him still watching, she flicked him off. He waved goodbye and shut his door.

  Adrian was a very good-looking man who could have any woman he wanted. He knew that. However, a relationship or anything close to it just wasn’t on his mind at the moment. That was why he’d stopped dating entirely. Even when he tried to casually see people, they would grow too attached to him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to give a woman the time she deserved or needed, so it wasn’t fair to either one of them. That was the reason it was just easier for him to buy pussy when he needed it. The unspoken “no strings attached” clause that came along with that fit his lifestyle perfectly. Not only did he get to experience different beautiful women, but he also didn’t have to worry about them blowing up his phone afterward or anything else.

  At age 22, Adrian was a very successful man. One of the reasons was because his father was Antonio Parks, owner of Parks Realty. As soon as Adrian graduated, he got his own Realtor license and began working in the company. He had since worked his way up and was now the leading marketing exec for the business. Two things he could sell were the dream of owning a property and the property itself. It was a gift.

  He spent the rest of his morning eating breakfast and getting dressed. Sonia had definitely put him in the zone. He was ready to go to the office. Only, he didn’t know that the office was coming to him. The knock at his door while he was putting on his diamond cuff links caught him off guard. At first, he thought it was Sonia coming back to cuss him out, which was why he checked the peephole before opening the door. It wasn’t Sonia in the hallway. It was his father.

  “Dad, what are you doing here?” he asked, opening the door.

  “I didn’t know I needed a reason to come visit my own son,” Antonio said, taking the fedora off his head before stepping inside.

  “You don’t, but it’s early. Most people call before they just show up at someone’s home.”

  “Hm,” Antonio chuckled slightly and sat down on one of Adrian’s couches. “This unsavory welcome must have something to do with that pissed-off Hispanic chick I saw leaving the building.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You don’t, huh? Maybe she was muttering about another Adrian in this building being an asshole then.” Antonio playfully tapped his chin, and it made Adrian drop his poker face.

  He grinned big and sat across from his old man. Since Adrian was a boy, his father had always been able to get the truth out of him. Antonio used to joke and say that it was his superpower. But really it came from just being a good father.

  “Okay, okay, you got me.”

  “Son, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful dealing with all these women?” Antonio shook his head. “Women are delicate creatures. What can happen if you shatter glass?”

  “You can get cut.”

  “Exactly!”

  “But, Pop, this isn’t like that. These women know what they’re walking into when they deal with me.”

  “Tell that to the angry Latina outside.”

  “Hey, I don’t sugarcoat a thing. She wanted to see me again, and I had to let her know I wasn’t with that. Sticking to my boundaries makes me wrong?”

  “All I’m saying is that one day you’re going to meet that one special girl and your womanizing past is going to come back and bite you in the dick.”

  “Well, until then, I’ma keep doing me.” Adrian grinned again and leaned forward in his seat. “Anyway, I know you didn’t come all this way just to lecture me on women. What’s up?”

  “There’s a convention in Atlanta that I’ve been invited to, so I’ll be gone for a week.” Antonio leaned back on the big gray couch and smoothed his tie down.

  “Okay. You need me to hold down the fort. That’s not anything I haven’t done before. I got you.”

  “I know you’ve done it before, but this time will be different.”

  “How so?”

  “My intern starts on Monday, and I want to make sure she’ll be in good hands while I’m gone. She’s a very bright young lady, and I want her to have the best experience with Parks Realty.”

  “You want me to babysit a nerd? Got it. Easy peasy.”

  “This is serious, Adrian. She’s going to Howard in the fall for marketing, and I figured it would be good for her to shadow you while I’m gone. You are the best at what you do, after all.”

  “What’s in it for me?”

  “The love of your father.” Antonio winked.

  “Too bad I already have that. What about this?” Adrian asked and rubbed the fingers on his right hand together. “I do better work when dinero is involved.”

  “How about a summer vacation completely paid for by me?”

  “As long as I get to pick the location, that’s fine with me, old man.”

  “Also, make sure she doesn’t find out about the other side of our business.”

  “You already know that’s going to be on lock.” Adrian grinned.

  Happily, Antonio slapped his hands together. He got up from the couch and went back toward where he’d come in. On his way there, he patted Adrian on the shoulder. Being Antonio’s only boy, Adrian had always felt a pressure to make him proud. Even though Antonio constantly reminded him that he was the best son a person could have, Adrian still thrived to make his father’s life easier. That was why he worked so hard for the company. And that was why he was going to stand in for his father with the nerd. He just hoped the girl wasn’t too weird.

  Before his father left, he turned to his son at the door and made a face.

  “You need to get a cleaning lady up here expeditiously. It smells very strongly of ass and titties.”

  Chapter 7

  Two Weeks Later

  “Kiesha!”

  Kiesha heard her mother shouting her name. However, she thought it was in her dream. Along with Miss Simmons’s voice, there was an annoying bell that kept sounding over and over. She just wanted them both to stop, but they didn’t. Not until she felt a strong arm jerk her. She opened her eyes and realized that she was nestled comfortably in her bed. Standing over her and staring wide-eyed at her was her mom. Kiesha knew that whatever the cause of her expression was had to be serious because she had both hands on her hips.

  “Whaaat?” Kiesha moaned into her pillow.

  “Do you know what today is?”

  “It’s Monday, right?”

  “Yes, but it’s a very important Monday. It’s the day you start your internship!”

  “What?” Kiesha exclaimed and sat up so fast she got lightheaded.

  She snatched her phone up from beside her and checked her calendar. Miss Simmons was right. It was the start date for her internship with Antonio Parks. The annoying alarm sound was coming from her clock, and she hurried to turn it off. Slowly her memory was coming back to her. She’d set her alarm so that she would wake up on time for her important day. But she’d also stayed up late binge-watching movies, which explained how she’d slept through her alarm for almost thirty minutes.

  Kiesha still had a little over an hour to spare, but it would take a good thirty minutes just to drive to the realty office. She jumped up and rushed to the foot of her bed. The one smart thing she’d done was pick her outfit out the night before like it was the first day of school.

  “Yeah, you better put some fire under that ass! I can’t believe you.”

  “Mama, you’re not helping!” Kiesha groaned as she put her hair up into a bun.

  “Mm, well, how about I help by making you something to eat in the car since you aren’t going to have time to sit at the table?”

  “That would be great. Thank you!”

  “Mm,” Miss Simmons said again and left the room.

  Kiesha rushed to shower and throw her cute pastel pink skirt suit on. Before she left the room, she made sure to give her baby hairs some love and threw a scarf on for them to dry on the drive. She left her room, and when she passed the kitchen, her mom handed her a plate with a bagel that had her favorite strawberry cream cheese spread on it. She kissed her on the cheek and made her way out the door.

  “I love you. Drive safe! Tell me all about it later!” Miss Simmons called from the porch.

  “I will!” she called back from her car.

  She drove off in the direction of Parks Realty. She just knew that traffic was going to be bad since it was a Monday and almost 9:00 a.m., but surprisingly it wasn’t. It might have had something to do with the fact that school was out. Whatever the reason, she was grateful. She demolished her bagel and took the scarf off her head right before she pulled into the parking lot. She saw a Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked in the spot that read ANTONIO PARKS, and she felt herself growing antsy. It was really settling in that she was doing a paid internship with the most successful black Realtor in Florida. It was more than a blessing, especially since she was getting the opportunity to do work in what would be her actual career field.

  Before she got out of the car, she fixed her blouse and her jacket. After one last glance in the mirror, she opened the door and made her way inside. She coached herself as she walked. Confidence was key, and she didn’t want anyone to think she was nervous even though she was. Deadly nervous.

  The cool air inside the building hit her and soothed her skin. A short distance away was the front desk and the pretty, young receptionist sitting behind it. She wore a bright smile and looked to be in her early thirties. Kiesha couldn’t help but notice that her wig was laid to the gods and her lash extensions were flawless.

  “Hi, I’m—” Kiesha tried to say when she reached the desk, but the receptionist interrupted.

  “Kiesha Simmons?”

  “That’s me.”

  “Perfect. I was expecting you. I’m Talia, the receptionist. But you can call me Li Li. Here’s your badge.” Li Li handed Kiesha a white badge that had on it the picture she’d sent in. “That will get you through any door in this big building except Mr. Parks’s office.”

  “Thank you,” Kiesha said and then looked around. “Do I wait here then?”

  “No, I’m sorry. Go straight down that wide hall there. We call it the Executive Hall. At the end of it you’ll see the main office. Mr. Parks is waiting for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kiesha did as she was told and went down the Executive Hall. On the way to her destination, she found herself wondering if she would get an office. She doubted it. She was just an intern. She’d be lucky enough if she got a desk by a window.

  When she reached the office at the end of the hall, she noticed that the door was open. She stepped through it, and it felt like the energy around her had shifted. There was a faint scent of expensive cologne, and everything inside the office was lined in gold, literally, including the big mahogany desk. The chair was facing the other way, but she could hear papers being sifted through, and that let her know someone was sitting in it. She cleared her throat to announce her presence. Instantly the chair swiveled around, and she smiled big to greet Mr. Parks. Only the person in the chair wasn’t Mr. Parks. It was someone she had never seen before.

  “Who are you?” she blurted out.

  The man sitting in the chair resembled Mr. Parks, but he was way too young to be him. He didn’t look much older than Kiesha. If she weren’t so busy being shocked, she might have noticed how good-looking he was in his navy suit and clean line up. He chuckled at her outburst.

  “I guess having manners was on the bottom of the internship requirements,” he said.

  “I . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude or anything. It’s just that you aren’t who I was expecting. Li Li told me that Mr. Parks was in this office.”

  “I am Mr. Parks, just not the old one.” He smiled charmingly. “My name is Adrian. And you must be Kiesha.”

  “That’s right.” She nodded. “You’re Mr. Parks’s son then? Or maybe his nephew.”

  “You were right the first time. Antonio Parks is my father. I’m just filling in while he’s away on business.”

  “Away on business? Didn’t he know I was coming today?”

  “He did. And that’s why he put me in charge of making sure you’re on the right track while here.”

  “He put you in charge? But you don’t look much older than me.”

  “That’s because I’m not. Perks of being the son of a boss man. Age doesn’t matter. Skill and work ethic do, which is why he trusts me to run this place while he’s gone.”

  “Oh.” Kiesha wasn’t able to hide the disappointment in her voice, and Adrian chuckled again.

  “I didn’t realize until this very moment how tough it is to fill my father’s shoes,” he said astutely and stared into her face. “But I promise you that you’re only stuck with me for a week. Let me show you to your office.”

  “Office?”

  “You didn’t think we would have you working from a corner desk by the window, did you?” Adrian winked at her.

  She smiled sheepishly, not wanting to admit that that was exactly what she thought. She followed him out of the office and halfway down the Executive Hall. When he opened the door, she couldn’t help the smile on her face. The office wasn’t huge like Mr. Parks’s, but it was the perfect size for her. There was an L-shaped desk for her to sit at, a minifridge, and a couch against the wall. The room wasn’t decorated, but she would soon change that. She sat down at the desk and noticed the desk nameplate with her name on it.

  “Wow, this is so nice,” she said, admiring her new space.

  “I’m glad you like it. My actual office is right across the hall, so either way we won’t be too far from each other.”

  “So what is it that you do here, Mr. Parks?”

  “You can just call me Adrian,” he said and smiled at her.

  That time she did notice how fine he was. His skin was like smooth chocolate, and the gaze from his piercing eyes made her want to blush. Her eyes travel down to his broad shoulders and muscular build. She wondered how many hours he put in at the gym a week to get so sexy. He complemented the tailored suit he wore, not the other way around. Before she started to drool, she snapped out of her short-lived trance.

  “Okay, Adrian, what exactly do you do, um, around here?”

  “I’m head of marketing. That’s what you’re going to school for, right?”

  “Yes. Did you get your degree in marketing as well?”

  “Uh, no,” Adrian laughed. “Another perk of having Antonio Parks as a dad. I hated school, and he knew it. Luckily for me, I had a dad who focused on the other things I was good at.”

  “And that was?”

  “Selling things. I could talk a cat into buying claws if I wanted to. So when I graduated, my dad gave me a choice: live on the streets or join the family business. It’s obvious which one I chose. Now I’m responsible for bringing in clients, and the rest of the team is responsible for sending them out as happy campers.”

  “That’s amazing. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to be interning here this summer. What are we doing today?”

  “I’m glad you asked. Today we’re going to make a campaign for a few new listings we just got this morning. Our TikTok and Instagram have over two million followers, combined. Also you’re going to help me with an idea for a commercial we’re shooting next week.”

  Kiesha was happy they were jumping right into work. She followed Adrian out of her new office and to another part of the building that required key card access. It was a large room with a few cubicles and desks with computers on them. There were half a dozen people back there working and on the phones. Adrian led Kiesha over to one woman in particular. She was very fair skinned and pretty. When she saw them approaching, she smoothed out her blouse and stared curiously at Kiesha.

  “Megan, this is Kiesha, our new intern. Kiesha, this is our leasing consultant,” Adrian introduced them.

  “That’s the official title they give me, but really I do a little bit of everything,” Megan said, smiling at Kiesha. “I didn’t know we were getting an intern.”

  “You know my dad likes to make plans in silence. We’re about to get started on the campaign for the beach homes.”

  “I’m glad you’re going to start on those, because you know once Sheraton Realtors gets a hold of them, they’re going to try to close before we do.”

  “And that’s why it’s great that we got a week’s head start on the properties. Is anybody using the conference room?”