Page 44 of Caught off Guard

“I double dog dare you to misplace one hair on my head. I will call the police on you so damn fast you’ll see stars. That would be after I knock all your teeth out of your head with my fist. You are a freakin’ stalker, acting like a lunatic and policing me like you don’t have a lick of sense. Get the hell out of my house.” I rose with my arm outstretched and pointed my index finger toward the front exit.

He didn’t hop up immediately. Instead, he lowered his eyes and wiped the side of his mouth with his fingers as if I had actually punched him.

“Zora, I have a vested interest in Liberation since my great-great-grandfather was a founder. I come from Black royalty, something you wouldn’t understand. You and this universityaremy business.” He waved his hand in the air and gestured toward the bell tower that was visible from the window of my living room.

He raised his body and moved so close that his cologne engulfed me again.

“This is the last time I’m going to speak to you nicely. Get out of my house so I can get ready for the week.”

“That isn’t your home. You are a lessee, not an owner. Remember that the next time you go out nearly naked in person, representing this university—the one built on the backs of my ancestors.”

“Or what, Geoff? What the hell are you going to do with your highfalutin ass?”

He finally walked toward the door. I followed behind him.

“I’ll show you highfalutin. Don’t try me, bitch. I am better connected than you will ever be. I will make sure that once Liberation throws you out, you’ll never work in higher education again. You’ll be begging me to be your reference for a fry cook job at the new burger joint down the street.”

Today must have been the day for men calling me out. I was fed up with it. I let Cairo get by with it because even I agreed I wasn’t acting right, but Geoff messed with the right one and the wrong one today. Because of that, he would catch all the wrath that had been bubbling up in me all day.

“Your baldheaded Mama is the bitch. And are you threatening me?”

Geoff pointed at me, his chest puffing up like a rooster.

“I’ll let you have that one for free because you’re going to need all the luck you can get when I’m through with you.”

“Try Jesus, not me. And in case I didn’t make myself clear, what we had is over.”

“It sure as hell is. I don’t deal with two-faced whores who think they’re men when they aren’t even high-quality women. I hope that whoever had you on your back was worth it.”

Everything in me wanted to punch Geoff, but I didn’t want to catch a case. He wasn’t worth it. I could curse him out real good though.

“And I don’t deal with raggedy ass, trust fund babies who try to manipulate a woman running a university instead of earning the credentials to run that university themselves. Lose my number, Geoff.”

“Gladly.” He stormed out of the house and knocked over an antique vase of flowers on his way.

I rushed behind him and stepped over the broken crystal. Once the door was locked, I clutched my chest and willed my rapidly beating heart to slow down. This wasn’t going to end well.

Under the surface, Geoff always had a temper. And he wasn’t lying about the power he wielded. I’d seen him be mean as the devil toward his enemies. That was one reason I hadn’t messed with him earlier. I was one of his enemies now. If whatever he planned didn’t take me down, it would probably hurt me in a way I wouldn’t soon forget.

MESSY AS HELL

When Zora left my home,I worked out, practiced in my indoor basketball gym, and did everything I could to forget my weekend with her. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything.

I was about to meditate in my prayer room when Marice Masters, chair of the Liberation University Board of Trustees name, popped up on my phone. Why was he calling me on a Sunday night?

“Mr. Masters, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

The older man cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

“First of all, let me thank you for contributing to our Liberation University students. They are some of the brightest in this nation, so you are investing in America’s future.”

I frowned.

“It was my pleasure. But you didn’t have to thank me on a weekend.”

“I wouldn’t have contacted you if I didn’t have other concerns.”

“Like what, sir?”

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