Chapter 18
Chapter 18
“Is everything okay?” Arianna asked from behind Pierce. He whirled around and confronted her.
“Uh, yeah, everything’s great.”
“Is the pizza here already?” Arianna questioned with a curious head tilt.
“No, not quite. I do have a question to ask you,” Pierce said, throwing an arm over Arianna’s shoulder and leading her back toward the backyard.
“What’s up?”
“Why are you so got damn sexy in that bikini?”
She let out a small giggle. “It’s my workout regimen.”
“What do you do?”
“I run behind rich people all day.”
“Wow. Is your job that bad?”
She stared at the pool water as she thought about her job.
“Honestly, my job isn’t as bad as you think. I’d compare it to a luxury adult daycare. Of course, we have the arrogant types, but that’s to be expected, and you have to finesse them into thinking they’re getting their way. You also have to appease their egos a little bit. Then you have the complainers. Nothing is ever right, and there’s just about an issue with everything. I mean, these people will complain because a cloud is blocking the sun and are looking to you to do something about it. I realized pretty early on the complainers are people who want to be heard. Logically, they know you can’t do anything about it, but they want to know that someone is listening.”
Arianna chuckled and recalled a particular incident when Mrs. Leadman complained about the cloud blocking the sun, preventing her from achieving the perfect tan.
“So, what did you do to get her to act right?”
“I calmly told her that I would pray to God extra hard that he would move that cloud for her, but then I told her that, in my opinion, she already had the perfect tan. She was so grateful that she slipped me a $50.00 tip. That’s another thing that I like about my job. People generally tip just for no damn reason, and if all I have to do is stroke your ego a little bit, then I’m all for it,” Arianna admitted, wrapping her arms and legs around Pierce.
“Do you ever run into a problem with racism?”
“Not really.”
“What do you mean, not really?”
“Elite SA has zero tolerance for racism. If you’re caught displaying racist behavior towards the staff or other members, your membership will be immediately revoked, and there will not be a refund. I’m not naive and believe that none of our members are racist. You can tell who they are, but they generally keep to themselves, and they don’t make any comments.”
“How can you tell?”
“It’s how they look at you, or how curt or dismissive they are to you no matter how kind you are to them. Oh, and they don’t leave tips,” Arianna giggled. “Given that, I still don’t treat them any differently. Maybe my actions towards them will shift something inside their hearts one day, who knows? I have a great job, but it’s not something I want to do for the rest of my life.”
“What is it that you want to do?”
“I want to be an interior designer. That’s what I was supposed to be going to school for.”
1/3
Wear Jun
Chapter 18.
“That’s such a great, high paying job. I should know, I paid to have my home done by Amara Lewis.”
Her mouth dropped.
“Shut up!”
“No, really. It cost me; however, it was worth every penny.”
“Amara Lewis is like my idol. She’s a young, successful Black woman, and the way she pieces a room together can only be described as other worldly. I would give my left nut to meet her!”
“Um, so I was down there for a while, and I can assure you that you don’t have a left nut to give,” Pierce teased, earning a swat to the chest.
“It’s just an expression, but for real, she’s my role model.”
“Well, maybe one day, you’ll meet her, but when you do, you have to be prepared: sketches, drawing board, the whole nine yards.”
“Trust me, Pierce, I got all that. I’m slowly working on designs when I’m not chasing rich gray–haired toddlers.”
“Keep it up. One day, your hard work will pay off. I think I heard the doorbell. I’ll be right back,” Pierce said, sliding Arianna off his lap.
Pierce grabbed his phone off the patio sofa and went inside to make an important phone call.
“What can I do you for, Pierce?”
“I’m cashing in that favor, Malcolm.”
Malcolm McCoy was his ex–client, and Pierce made him a ton of money after Malcolm won a settlement against the City of San Antonio for a net of $12 million. By the time Pierce was done, he had tripled it. Malcolm was not only a client but a friend as well. Out of all the people he knew, Malcolm was the most down–to–earth and an absolute joy to be around.
“Alright, what can I do for you?”
“I’d like to schedule a meet and greet.”
Arianna stood on Pierce’s front steps, reluctant to leave. They had a great time today and were saddened to see it come to an end. Of course, Pierce tried to convince her to stay the night, and Arianna could tell he was a little disappointed when she declined. They had spent the rest of the evening eating, swimming, and getting to know each other better.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?” Pierce asked again for the hundredth time.
“I’m sure. Legs is probably worried about me.”
“He sounds clingy,” Pierce teased.
“Says the man that won’t let me go home,” Arianna giggled.
Pierce blushed in embarrassment.
“Before I forget, Bingo is formal attire. Make sure you wear gold.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see,” Arianna said, pressing a kiss to Pierce’s lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and melted. He begrudgingly released her a few seconds later, knowing he would wake up in the morning to her thunderous snoring if he prolonged the kiss.
“Get out of here. Text me when you get home safely, and I’ll see you soon.”
2/3
zu Wed,
Chapter 18
“Alright…Daddy,” she whispered.
Pierce was about to pass the fuck out right on his front steps. Arianna threw her head back and cackled all the way to the car. “I’m sorry, I had to do itras she squealed. “I wanted to see your reaction, and it was fucking everything. Just so you know, I’m not into that Daddy shit, so don’t be expecting that on the regular.”
“How about my birthday?”
“An exception can be made for birthdays,” Arianna confirmed with a wink.
Pierce didn’t close the front door until Arianna left the driveway. “This little girl will kill me,” he muttered as he jogged up the stairs to relieve himself of the blue balls he had suffered the entire day.
