Heartbreak And Past Mistakes Read online

  Jared rushed over there too, as Jena stared daggers at her one time best friend. Lyric’s wild, curly hair was beautiful, making Jena even more envious of her. The different tints of brown really made it pop and she was always getting compliments on it.

  “What’s up cousin?” Lyric asked when she made it to Nova’s desk.

  “These are for you.” Nova smiled as she bent down and picked up a huge crystal vase filled with a colorful flower arrangement.

  “Aww, this is beautiful.” Lyric smiled when she saw them.

  “Uh huh. I never knew a woman with no man to get flowers every other week,” Nova teased as she handed them to her.

  “See, that could be you if you stop playing,” Jared said as he looked at Nova and licked his lips.

  Nova was thick in all the right places and he was really feeling her. She had to be a good size sixteen and Jared wanted to explore every inch of her.

  “Whatever,” Nova said as she rolled her eyes at him and followed Lyric to her office.

  “Don’t do my friend like that cousin,” Lyric giggled while handing Jared her flowers so she could unlock her office door.

  “Girl, forget Jared. He’s trying to be another Spencer and fuck all the new hires. I’m too old for the games boo,” Nova snapped.

  “I know he better not be,” Lyric said while frowning at him.

  “The fuck? Who else did I try to get with?” Jared questioned.

  “Sabrina, that’s who and don’t even try to lie,” Nova fumed as she spoke of one of the other receptionists who started about two months ago.

  Sabrina started her bullshit from day one and she and Jena immediately clicked. She was who Jena hung out with every day and the only one who genuinely liked her. They were both alike and looking for a man to help them come up. Sabrina was even worse because she didn’t have any standards. She was rumored to be messing with one of the security guards and, knowing her, it was probably true. Lyric didn’t know why Mr. Malone hired her, but she had a feeling that she wouldn’t be there very long. She had already called off twice in the short time that she’d been working there.

  “Ugh, she got too many teeth. I don’t want you to mess with her crowded mouth ass.” Lyric frowned, making Nova laugh.

  “I’m not trying to mess with that girl. Who told you that?” Jared questioned.

  “Stop trying to play me for a fool. Y’all went on a date and everything.” Nova frowned.

  “Damn Nova, you sound like you’re jealous. That shit is sexy as hell,” Jared said as he bit his bottom lip.

  “This is my first time hearing this. When did you go out on a date with her?” Lyric wanted to know.

  “I didn’t,” Jared replied.

  “That’s what she’s telling everybody,” Nova said.

  “That bitch is lying. She just so happened to be at the same party as me last weekend. I spoke to the bitch and couldn’t get her to stop following me after that. Ask her what happened when she asked for my number. Stupid ass trying to lie on a nigga.” Jared frowned.

  “Did she tell you that Nova?” Lyric asked her cousin.

  “No, but I heard her tell it to Jena,” Nova replied.

  “Girl, bye. That bitch and everybody in this building knows that Jared likes you. She did that hoping that you would hear her,” Lyric argued.

  “I don’t even care,” Nova replied.

  “Well, bitch, you could have fooled me. You act you wanted to fight my friend,” Lyric instigated.

  “Exactly and you owe me an apology. A date would be better though,” Jared said as he winked at her.

  “I’m not giving you either,” Nova blushed.

  “Seriously though, Nova. Why won’t you give my friend a date? One date just to see how it goes,” Lyric spoke up.

  “The same reason why you won’t date anybody who ask you out,” Nova countered.

  “This ain’t about me though,” Lyric replied.

  “Yeah, this ain’t about her. Answer the question,” Jared demanded.

  “Maybe it’s because you never asked. You always flirt, but I can never tell your true intentions. When you’re ready to come at me and ask for a date like a gentleman, you know where to find me,” Nova replied as she walked away.

  “Well damn,” Lyric said, loving the way her cousin just handled the situation.

  “That’s my muthafucking wife right there. It’s on now,” Jared said excitedly as he rushed out of Lyric’s office.

  Lyric laughed as she pulled the note from the flower arrangement that she knew was from Javier. He was always sending her flowers or having gifts delivered to the job. Lyric smiled when she read what was on the card before putting it in her desk drawer with all the others. She got the paperwork that she picked up for Mr. Malone and her coffee cup before walking out of the office. Once she put his documents on his desk, Lyric locked Mr. Malone’s office and headed straight for the break room. She cringed when she walked inside and saw Spencer standing near the water machine filling up his bottle.

  “What’s up beautiful? You’re looking good as always,” Spencer said when he saw Lyric.

  “Kiss my ass Spencer,” Lyric replied as she opened the drawer and browsed through the flavored coffee selections until she found one that she wanted.

  “I’ve been trying to but you won’t let me. I used to love kissing your ass,” Spencer said while licking his lips. He walked over to Lyric and stood too close for her liking.

  “Back the fuck up before this hot coffee be in your face. Think it’s a game if you want to,” Lyric warned.

  “Damn, I miss you. That feisty shit always did turn me on,” Spencer moaned in her ear.

  “Spencer!” Jena yelled when she walked in and saw how he was all up on Lyric.

  “What now Jena? Damn. I must have a GPS on my dick,” he fumed as he backed away from Lyric.

  He grabbed his water bottle and left, frowning at Jena the entire time. Cheating on Lyric with her was one of the biggest mistakes that he’d ever made. Even worse was him agreeing to be with her just so she would go through with the abortion. Jena was a nag and she had nothing going for herself. She was a college dropout and her job at the firm was the best thing that ever happened to her. Even after she got the abortion, Spencer decided to keep her around. Jena did whatever he told her to and he needed somebody like her on his team. Not many women were willing to clean a house that she didn’t live in. Jena was an asset, but she was annoying as fuck at times.

  “Girl, you don’t have to worry. Nobody wants that community dick but you,” Lyric chuckled.

  “If he wanted you, he wouldn’t have left you for me,” Jena replied.

  “You should be happy that I don’t want his ass no more because he damn sure be trying. You know better than anybody that I’ve never been pressed behind a nigga. Getting a man has never been one of my problems.”

  “It’s not always about you, Lyric. I spent years walking in your shadow and I got tired of that shit. I’m nobody’s charity case and that includes you,” Jena argued, taking the conversation all the way left.

  “You sound dumb as fuck right now Jena. I’ve never treated you like a charity case; I always treated you like a friend. It’s sad that you don’t know the difference between the two. You never walked in my shadow because you were always right beside me. You were my best friend. Spencer and nobody else could have changed that,” Lyric pointed out.

  She got a little emotional when she spoke because she loved Jena like a sister at one time. Their friendship obviously meant more to Lyric than it did to her and that’s what hurt the most. She never knew that Jena was so jealous of her, but it was all made clear when their friendship ended. Jena hated the mere sight of her and Lyric didn’t know why.

  “Why is everything with you always about Spencer? If he was so happy with you, he would have never come after me. You just hate to see other people happy. That’s exactly why you’re no longer a part of my circle,” Jena replied, sounding stupid.

  “Bitch, please. You didn’t even have a circle until I drew it for you. And don’t get shit twisted. Spencer is only a small part of the problem. You’ve obviously felt some kind of way about me for a while and it took you being with him for it to surface. If our friendship can end that easily, then it never really began. Just be happy that I’m not the petty bitch that I used to be. I would have had your gullible ass standing in the unemployment line if I was. You know my level of disrespect knows no bounds. Know your place and respect the bitch that made you great,” Lyric snapped as she grabbed her coffee and walked away.

  If Mr. Malone knew half of what went on in his building, he would probably clear that bitch out and hire a whole new staff. It was like a modern day soap opera and Lyric was there for the drama. She played it off when she was in Jena’s presence but she wanted to knock fire from her ass, just as she’d done when she first found out about her and Spencer. She was mad with herself for not knowing that her best friend really hated her the entire time. Jena played the game well for years because Lyric never had a clue. It was all good though. Lyric was going to let her make it for a little longer. She swore that the next time Jena came at her sideways, she was going to make her feel the same pain that she’d felt a little over a year ago.

  Jena stood there waiting until she knew that Lyric was gone. She needed her job and problems with Lyric was the quickest way for her to be dismissed. She was thankful that she still had a job at all after what she’d done. Jena felt so special when she started working there and Spencer started flirting with her. Lyric was the shit and, if her man wanted Jena, then she had to be special too. She didn’t even care that Spencer catered to Lyric’s every want and need. He was having sex with her too, so it couldn’t have been all that great. She took pleasure in seeing how broken up Lyric was about what she’d done. Lyric’s life was perfect enough and Jena felt like she deserved some of that happiness. Lyric had it all and Spencer was the only thing that Jena had to hold over her head.

  Still, Lyric was right about what she’d said. Her catch back game was something serious and Jena had witnessed that herself. When Bradley did her dirty, she was the one who drove Lyric to his house at two in the morning to destroy his car and beloved motorcycle. When she finished putting sugar mixed with cooking oil in his tanks, he had to have them both replaced. And Spencer wasn’t exempt from her wrath either. Jena knew that it was no coincidence that his entire case file came up missing on the same morning that he was scheduled to present opening arguments in a very important court case. Mr. Malone was ready to fire him and he probably would have had things not turned out the way they did. It so happened that the defendant in the case pled guilty and took a pea deal. They didn’t even have to go to trial and Spencer’s job was spared.

  Lyric was very vindictive when provoked and Jena was thankful that her former friend never came after her again since that very first time in Spencer’s office. The most she’d ever received from her was an oral beat down and that was bad enough. Lyric said shit that would make a grown man cry and Jena wasn’t spared from her verbal wrath. It killed her that Spencer still had feelings for Lyric, but Jena wasn’t giving him up without a fight. Thankfully, Lyric didn’t seem to want him anymore and she prayed that it stayed that way.

  Chapter 5

  “Shit,” Lyric hissed as she ran around her room trying to get herself together.

  She had an hour before Javier picked her up for dinner with his parents. Lyric had to talk herself out of cancelling a few times because she really didn’t want to go. She knew that Javier was ready to take their relationship to the next level, but she was torn. Although Lyric dated other people, Javier was who she saw and dealt with the most. He was also the only one who she was intimate with at the time. Being that her luck wasn’t the best with men, Lyric was afraid to make things official with him, only to have something go wrong. Having a flawless relationship was unrealistic, but she was tired of getting her heart broken. After having it done twice before, she didn’t know if she could take it the third time around. Meeting Javier’s parents was something serious to him. Their opinion meant a lot to him and it meant a lot to Lyric as well. She knew that them not liking her could be the end of her and Javier’s fling and she was prepared for it to go either way. She didn’t love Javier, so ending things with him would be easier, or so she hoped.

  When her phone rang on the charger, Lyric welcomed the temporary distraction. She smiled when she saw that it was one of her males friends, Raymond, who was calling her. Lyric talked on the phone with him while she tried on two different dresses. She’d already gone to the hair salon earlier and had her hair deep conditioned and rolled. Her stylist had her curly mane looking good and her makeup was flawless. Lyric wanted to make a great first impression and she didn’t want to wear anything revealing. Thanks to her grandma, that was hard to do with her ass being as big as it was. Most women would have loved such an asset, but Lyric found herself hating it at times. She hated that she sometimes had to go a size up in her jeans because of it. That made her have to wear a belt all the time because her jeans were always too big in the waist.

  “When can I see you again?” Raymond asked as Lyric looked at herself in the mirror.

  She decided to wear a blush colored one-shoulder dress that stopped at her knees. She paired it with rose gold accessories, including her new Louboutin heels that Javier had purchased for her the month before. She looked good but, most of all, she looked classy.

  “I don’t know boo. I have plans tonight. Maybe we can do something next weekend,” Lyric replied as she freshened up her lipstick.

  Javier would be pulling up any minute and she was ready to get it over with. She hoped his parents had something to drink for dinner because she needed something to relax her nerves.

  “What lame ass nigga is cutting into my time? I haven’t seen you since last month,” Raymond acknowledged.

  “That’s because you’ve been working so much. I need to be asking you to make time for me,” Lyric replied.

  Raymond was a software developer and he traveled a lot. He wasn’t all that attractive to Lyric, but he was sweet. He always treated her with respect and his personality overshadowed his appearance.

  “Yeah, I know, but I’m free next weekend if you are. We can do poetry night and dinner,” Raymond said, knowing how much Lyric enjoyed the same things as him.

  “It’s a date,” Lyric replied.

  “Okay, well, I won’t hold you up. Call me tomorrow when you have some free time,” he suggested.

  “I will. Good night,” Lyric said before she hung up.

  She was right on time because Javier was ringing her doorbell a short time later. Lyric looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she grabbed her clutch and keys. As soon as she opened the door, Javier’s eyes roamed her curvaceous body with pure lust.

  “Damn,” he hissed as he pulled her closer to him for a hug.

  “Wait Javier, you’re going to mess up my makeup,” Lyric said when he tried to kiss her.

  “You look so fucking good baby. I hope you planned on coming home with me tonight,” Javier said as he led her to his black Lamborghini.

  The car was Javier’s prized possession and one of the most expensive things that he owned besides his house. He’d always wanted one and his sisters were heated when his parents got it for him. Javier had a Jaguar as well, but he loved to show off his expensive toy for special occasions.

  “Why didn’t you drive the Jag? I hate getting in and out of this thing. It sits too low,” Lyric complained.

  “I know baby, but this is a special occasion,” Javier said as he grabbed her hand as he drove.

  “Not too fast Javier. You make me nervous in this thing,” Lyric replied.

  They talked the entire time until they pulled up to the restaurant. Lyric had never been to Morton’s Steak House, but she’d seen it more times than she could count. She was always shopping in Canal Place and the restaurant was in the same building. They were too overpriced for her liking but that was the place that Javier’s parents chose. When they walked into the restaurant, Lyric admired the ambience. The place was dimly lit and she could see that not just anybody would dine there. They had a wall full of expensive wines and she hoped that they were going to get one.

  “Reservation for Livingston,” Javier said to the hostess who greeted them.

  His parents were already there, so she escorted them to the table where they were seated. Lyric had seen pictures of Javier’s family at his house, so she recognized them before they even made it to the table.

  “Hello, my dear,” Maxine Livingston said when she saw her son approach.

  Javier let go of Lyric’s hand and leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek. His father, Douglas, stood up to shake his hand. Just like his son did not too long ago, Mr. Livingston’s eyes roamed Lyric’s body lustfully before finally landing on her face.

  “And who is this beauty?” Douglas asked as he grabbed Lyric’s hand and bought it up to his lips.

  “Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend, Lyric,” Javier said, shocking Lyric with his introduction.

  “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Douglas said with a smile.

  “It’s nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Livingston.” Lyric smiled.

  “Hello,” Maxine said, void of any sincerity.

  Javier pulled out Lyric’s chair and waited until she took a seat. When he sat down, he grabbed her hand, hoping to make her feel comfortable.

  “Do you drink Lyric? I can order a bottle of champagne,” Douglas offered.

  “That would be fine. Thank you,” Lyric replied.

  “So, Lyric, are you an attorney as well?” Maxine asked her.

  “No mom, I already told you that when you asked before,” Javier said.

  “She can talk for herself sweetheart,” Maxine replied.

  “No ma’am, I’m not an attorney,” Lyric said politely.

  “What exactly is it that you do at the firm?” Maxine asked her.

  “I’m the administrative assistant to Mr. Malone,” Lyric replied.