for more model recruiting. Then there’s a fashion show in Europe that both the male and female brands have been invited to showcase in. I will finish things off with an interview for the biggest magazine in Europe and then will take pictures for the cover. So, as you can see, I’m completely booked solid for the next few months.”
“Shit! I see why you need to meet today,” I said, slowly reclining in my chair.
“There’s a very small window of opportunity for us to meet, but it would require you flying to New York this upcoming Monday and Tuesday. I can arrange several small breakout meetings and one final group meeting with my team based on my schedule before I fly out. Will you make this happen?”
“Say no more, brother. I’m there!”
After ending the intense phone call that covered my ass with Minority Clothing, I put both hands on my head, breathing a sigh of relief. Trying to regain my composure, I immediately began reviewing the presentation and notes for the Chicago Fusion meeting. Halfway through the reviews, my office phone rang.
“Mr. Smooth, I have Janet Thompson on line 2 for you. Would you like me to put her through?” Tammy asked.
“Go ahead and put her through, Tammy,” I answered.
“Yeah, you called?” Janet snapped on the phone before I could get a word out.
“Yeah, you called? Is that how we’re going to start this off?” I asked.
“I’m sorry, Kahlil, but it’s been a long day. Can you just tell me what you wanted?” she demanded.
“Look. I just wanted to tell you that I’ll pick up Iliana from school since my schedule was adjusted. Go ahead and do whatever it was you had planned.” There was a brief silence on the phone.
“Don’t worry about it. I cancelled what I had to do, so if you’re going to finish work early, just go home. You made me feel like shit this morning, so I decided to spend some time with Iliana.”
“I apologize for how that came out, Janet. I couldn’t understand why you got so pissed this morning over something so simple like picking her up,” I said.
“I know your heart was in a good place. I’m going to pick her up, and we’re going to spend some much-needed time together,” she said.
A big smile draped across my face as I sat there listening to Janet. “Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea! I’m sure Iliana will be pretty surprised when she finds out. I’ll finish up some things here at the office and eat whatever Féch prepared at home. So now that that’s settled, what’s going on with you? Why did you have such a bad start to your day outside of our small clash this morning?” I asked.
“I’ll wait until you get home, so we can talk about it, Kahlil,” Janet replied with a hint of anxiety in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kahlil, I’ll wait until you get home, so we can have a chance to talk face-to-face!” Janet reiterated in a stern voice.
There was a knock at the door.
“Excuse me, Kahlil. The Chicago Fusion Supplements executives have arrived,” Tammy stated from outside my opened door.
“Okay, thank you. I’ll be right there,” I whispered after placing my hand over the receiver.
“I’ll let you go to your meeting,” Janet blurted out, attempting to rush off the phone.
“Janet, just hold on a minute. We’re not finished with this discussion. I still have a few minutes so tell me—” Click. The line went dead.
I was so mad I immediately hit the speed dial button, dialing the house back, but the phone never rang. It went to voicemail. I sat at my desk boiling. I knew Janet turned on the do not disturb feature knowing I was going to call back. Quickly regaining my composure, I got up to make my way to the boardroom for my presentation.
Chapter 4
A long day in the office had finally come to an end. The day finished out with a successful presentation to the executives of Chicago Fusion Supplements. They were thrilled with each layout and scheme Undisputed Marketing had created for their new products. I felt on top of the world! But in all honesty, it was short-lived as my mind drifted back to the brief conversation with Janet. I found myself still puzzled by the abrupt ending of our phone call as I drove through the gate to the house. I parked my E-Class Mercedes-Benz in the garage and walked into the house to discover a note from Féch.
Kahlil, dinner is prepared (rib eye, seasoned potatoes, with fresh mixed vegetables). If you need anything other than what I prepared, don’t hesitate to call.
Féch
Féch was the owner of six successful restaurants—four in Illinois, one in New York, and one in Arizona. Most would consider what she charged pricey, but it was well worth it for my house. Being heavy into fitness along with my extensive travel schedule, it was hard for me to get into the kitchen regularly to prepare anything, so having Féch around was very beneficial. Then there was Janet who, bless her heart, couldn’t cook to save her own life!
While watching my evening dose of SportsCenter, I changed into my gym clothes for my run. The evening rolled around, and still no one had made it home yet. I decided to go down to the indoor pool to swim a few laps. Once I finished, I went to the movie theater to watch an old movie. A few minutes into the movie, I was sound asleep.
I woke up about two hours later to see the credits rolling, so I decided to call it a night. As I walked through the family room, I finally heard the garage opening. I grabbed a bottle of wine and a pair of wine glasses and then stood waiting to greet my ladies. I could hear a faint ruckus that grew louder and louder from the garage. Iliana burst through the door first and was clearly startled to see me standing there. She stared at me for a second and then ran into my arms.
“Dad, no! She can’t make me do this!” she yelled in tears.
Seconds later, Janet stormed through the door snatching Iliana out of my arms. She spun her 180 degrees to deliver one of the firmest slaps I had ever seen.
“Don’t you ever disrespect me like that again!” she yelled. Iliana stood there motionless in shock. Not a word was uttered between the two but only a cold stare-down. “Go to your damn room!” Janet yelled.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded. Iliana ran out of the room in tears. Janet began to walk past me like I was invisible. Before she could completely pass me, I grabbed her arm. “What’s going on, Janet?” I repeated.
“Let me go, Kahlil!” Janet yelled loudly and then aggressively pulled away from my grasp storming down the hallway. I immediately followed behind her into the kitchen. Janet opened the refrigerator door when I forcefully placed my hand on it slamming it shut.
“Now you’re disrespecting me,” I said.
Janet walked over to the table and sat down with tears building in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Kahlil. As you can see, dinner didn’t go like I planned,” she said with her hands covering her face as she cried.
“Shit, by the looks of things, it doesn’t appear that you two even had dinner. Now for the
