Page 19 of Marshall: The Manny

We were down to the last month before the launch of Demi Bot 2. After a meeting with my team in the conference room to make sure everyone was ready to lock in, I headed to my office. Jessica scurried inside, and the frantic look on her face alarmed me. My first thought was that something was wrong with my son.

“What is it?” I asked, gripping her arms.

“Everyone’s okay,” she assured me quickly, and I was grateful for that. “However, we have a problem with one of the investors. I sent the email letting them know we need their payments within seventy-two hours if they hadn’t paid already, and Luis is threatening to back out. He’s getting cold feet. We need to get you to New York immediately.”

Groaning, I headed behind my desk. “This is literally the last thing I need. Now is not the time for him or anyone else to be getting cold feet. This is why I wanted all investors to send their funds by the ninety day mark.”

“Yeah, well, this is where we’re at right now, sis. How soon can you leave?”

Scoffing, I looked at her as my head tilted. “I can’t leave, Jessie. I literally just got back. I can’t leave my family.”

Jessica released a shaky breath. “You hired Marshall to be your manny. I know the both of you agreed you would no longer pay him since Denver is damn near his son at this point but still. That’s why he came into your life. Let him do his job while you do yours.”

As much as I hated it, she was right. Marshall suggested I stop paying him after our second date. I didn’t want to agree but he insisted. It felt odd not paying him to watch Denny, but he told me one day I’d be his wife and Denver would be his son. That made that hesitation fade away.

I called Marshall and the sound of Denver’s laughter in the background brought an immediate smile to my face.

“Hey, love.”

“Hey, baby. One of the investors is trying to back out. I need to fly to New York and handle this.”

“Handle your business. You know we’ll be good.”

Relief washed over me. I knew that was what he’d say, but every time he reminded me that I could count on him, it made me love him a little more. You didn’t value and appreciate having a partner that you could depend on until you had one. I’d realized being so independent wasn’t an intentional choice—it was a requirement. I had to be independent because I had no one I could depend on or submit to for their help and leadership… until Marshall.

“Thank you, Marshall. I promise to get home as soon as I can.”

“No. I want you to stay there. I’m going to send you some money, and I want you to spend tomorrow morning and afternoon eating good and shopping. Then, I want you to rest and come home the next morning.”

“Marshall, I can’t. We have a month left before the launch and—”

“And that’s exactly why you need to spend some time alone. Enjoy yourself, rest, get your mind right. Work will be waiting for you when you get home, and you’ll be more focused and prepared to take it on.”

I released a shaky breath and nibbled my lip. “Okay, but when I get back, we have to spend the day together as a family. Things are about to get crazy with work until launch day. I’m going to try and be around as much as I can, but my time will be severely limited.”

“Deal, love. We’ll be waiting for you.”

“Yay. Okay. I’ll uh… see you soon. I need to pack a bigger bag than the one I usually take for unexpected trips like this.”

“Alright, Demi. See you soon.”

After hanging up, I went to tell Jessica she could make the travel plans, and as always, she was already on it.

In New York

My frustration was brewing.I arrived in New York yesterday and met Luis for dinner, during which, he didn’t really give me an exact reason why he was reconsidering being an investor. He told me he had to sleep on it. When I first made it to his office this morning, I expected he’d give me an immediate answer. Nope. He said he needed more time. More information. I spent hours going over the same stuff we’d been discussing for the last six months.

After that, we went to lunch, which I paid for. Now, he was saying he wasn’t sure he wanted to invest such a large amount ofmoney in someone so young, and he wanted us to go to a damn social club to further discuss it this evening. Before I could stop myself, I laughed, and I meanreallylaughed. No longer able to keep my professional hat on, I stood from my seat and leaned against his desk.

“I might be young but I’m more than capable of not only investing your money but returning it tenfold. Need I remind you this is not my first app, and this one is slated to do better than the last. You’ve seen the numbers and the proof. I don’t appreciate you wasting my time having me come all the way here for this… bullshit!”

I pulled in a deep breath as I stood upright. “I left my family and team during a critical time to be here. If you wanted extra attention to feel important for the seven figures you offered in good faith, I’m not in the business of stroking egos or begging for anything other than my man’s good, big, black dick. You sought me out to partner with my app. If you don’t want to invest, that’s on you. Now I’m going home, and I expect to have a wire transfer initiated by you by the time my flight lands. If I don’t, you won’t have to worry about making your decision because I will pull you from the list of investors myself.”

As I stormed out of his office, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Only two people’s calls could get through when I had it on Do Not Disturb, and that was Marshall and Jessica. I pulled my phone out and smiled at the picture of Marshall and Denver that I had for his contact ID.

“Hey, my baby. Y’all okay?”

Marshall sighed. “Don’t worry…”

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