Page 75 of Rude Boss 2

Chapter 14

Essex

“I heard you were offthe market, my guy,” Billy says when he sees me walking closer to the bar.

“My father must be in here telling my business, or was it you, Coop?”

“You know it wasn’t me, sir. I’m still under that nondisclosure agreement you had me sign back in the day.”

“I suppose you should’ve signed one, too, Dad.”

Amos says, “Your father is just happy for you, as we all are.”

“Yeah, man. Congratulations,” Billy says.

“Thanks, Billy. I’m sure you know the crew by now since I’m the latecomer, but I’ll introduce them, anyway. I’m sure you remember Cooper. He’s my driver. This is my father, Stewart and this man right here,” I say, patting Amos’ shoulder. “This is my wife’s father, Amos.”

“Look at you already calling her your wife and y’all ain’t even married yet,” Cooper says. What he doesn’t know is, we are married, but I let him think what he wants.

“See, that’s how you know he’s in love,” Dad says.

“Absolutely,” Amos adds.

“Ay, Billy, get me that drink,” I say. “I’m definitely going to need it.”

The men all have a good chuckle at my expense.

“Go on and have a seat, son.” Dad pats the barstool between himself and Amos. Billy slides the drink in front of me just in time.

I take a sip and say, “I appreciate you all for coming out and celebrating with me. This has been a long time coming.”

“Yes, it has,” Cooper says. “I can tell you about the many conversations we’ve had about Quintessa over the years, but again, the nondisclosure.”

“I can tell it myself, Coop,” I say. “My father is well aware of the struggle I faced when it came to women.”

Billy tsks while wiping the bar top. “What struggle? Women were practically falling at your feet and I’m talking supermodel quality chicks. Y’all should see the way they be looking at him.”

“That’s just it, Billy. These women don’t want nothing from me but what I can give them financially. Before all this money, when I was just starting college, I was still thenicefat guy. All the girls would say I was nice, but they wouldn’t date me. I wasn’t good enough for that. Then, after I graduated, I got serious about my health and transformed into this fine gentleman you see here today. But even before all of that—when I was at my absolute worst, only one girl gave me the time of day, and that was Quintessa.”

Billy asks, “Is this the girl from high school you were telling me about a while back?”

“Yeah. That’s her. I met Quintessa in the middle of my freshman year in high school after my parents relocated from Detroit to Tallahassee.”

“Yeah,” Dad says. “I remember he used to come home talking about Quintessa nonstop. When he found out she lived a couple blocks down the street, she would ride her bike to the house and he’d go over there. They were close. He still had his friends that he would play basketball with and stuff like that, you know, but when it came to Quintessa, no one could compare.”

“And now we’re getting married,” I say, taking another sip of my drink. “I’ve never said this before, Amos, but thank you for raising such a beautiful, kind-hearted woman. She’s truly everything I ever wanted.”

“I’m not doubting that,” Amos says, “But I’m curious. How do you know she’s everything you ever wanted?”

“Oh, shoot,” Cooper says. “Pops ain’t giving up his baby girl without a fight.”

“Right,” Billy says. “Dad wants some reassurance, Essex. What you got?”

The men laugh.

I say, “I knew Quintessa was the one for me when I first met her. I was just too young and too inexperienced to know what to do about it. I could never understand why a girl like her would give me the time of day back then. It always baffled me. Then we went our separate ways and went off to college and I’m not going to lie—that nearly destroyed me.”

“It did?” Amos asks.

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