Page 15 of Consumed By Desire

“And you didn’t think this was the source of your issues?” he asked like I was riding the little yellow bus right next to him.

“No, Legend, I piss people off all the time, and more often than not, several people are fired after I take an executive from a company. My job is not a pretty sweet time, I am crippling companies a lot of the time, and I have made more enemies than I care to think about. Hell, I get off on that shit,” I tell him. He shakes his head, understanding why sudden chatter didn’t faze me.

“Well, I think this time you pissed off someone who took it very seriously, and since this has the same childish juvenile feel as how Trent used to maneuver in school, I am going to say he was the department head that got fucked up when you took Michael. Tell me more about Coda Corp,” he says, and before I know it we have spent hours talking about how we are going to finally get Trent back for fucking with my business and my man.

Legend

“Talk to me, Legend. It must be some real shit going on if you are calling me for help,” Kruze says without preamble as soon as he crosses the threshold. Trinitee is right behind him because he doesn’t go anywhere without his wife.

“Hi, Kruze,” I say, pulling Trinitee into a hug. “Hi, sis, you’re looking beautiful as usual,” I say to her after I kiss her on the cheek.

“Silver-tongued devil,” she tells me. “I see my best friend looking mighty happy over there,” she whispers in my ear. “Thank you.” I smile down at her.

“My pleasure.”

“I bet,” she says, giggling and heading over to Shannon.

“Have a seat, Kruze. The chef is almost done with dinner and then we’ll talk,” I tell him, leading him into the dining room.

“So this thing between you and Shannon is serious, huh?”

“Yes,” I reply. The women are walking too far behind me to overhear our conversation.

“Have you told her you love her yet?” I look over to my brother without answering.

“No,” I say without bothering to deny it.

“What are you waiting on?”

“Nothing. I am not not telling her for any particular reason I just haven’t.”

“But you are going to?”

“Of course,” I say, and he bobs his head in approval.

“All I know is I better be your best man.” My cheeks hurt from me smiling so hard.

We take our seats, and the chef immediately begins bringing the food out. We take our time eating and enjoying each other’s company. Even though I called my brother over to help us execute our plan, he and I haven’t had a chance to just hang out since the wedding, and he and I have never spent time as a part of a couple. We are having a ball, talking laughing and enjoying the fabulous meal.

“I think I might have to steal your chef,” Kruze says.

“Um, I think the fuck not,” I say, throwing a roll at him.

“Your ass is so selfish. We can share him.”

“I’ll pass,” I tell him.

“Seriously, I am enjoying myself. Let’s not let this be are only time doing this. As a matter of fact, let’s make it a point to do this at least once a month. I am not sure if it was our age or what maybe I was just a dick either way. I am sorry, brother, for not being a good brother to you.”

“Kruze,” I start because I waited years to hear my brother talk like this.

“No, let me finish. It wasn’t your fault that Mom and Dad had to take extra time with you. You were dealing with things that were completely out of your control, but all I say was no matter how well I did in whatever I was doing, you got so much more attention. It never crossed my mind that you just wanted to be normal. You didn’t want to have to have all that extra attention. I am so glad I have matured enough to look back on our past through honesty and no longer through jealousy and that we have the opportunity to get this brother thing right,” I get up out of my chair, making my way around the table to Kruze, he stands, and we hug. Shannon and Trinitee are wiping their eyes with their napkins when the hug ends.

“Alright, talk to me,” he says, all business. Kruze probably has the best business mind of anyone I have ever met. Shannon and I tell him what has been going on.

“Eli told me you got into a fight, but I blew it off because you have never looked for a fight. But if I heard a man talking about Trinitee like that his ass would have been getting zipped up in a black bag for his one-way trip to the medical examiner’s office.”

“Yeah, I know,” I tell him.

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