The Billionaire Scoop: A BWWM Romance (Secrets & Deception Book 1) by Mia Caldwell
Authors: Mia Caldwell
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‘village?’”
“I definitely didn’t have a place like this. There’s nothing like this,” she said as she looked all around her.
“Not even in college?”
“My own dorm room, I suppose, away from everybody. But that’s behind me. And it’s nowhere near as peaceful as this place because the stress was constant. It ebbed and flowed, but there was always some paper due, some test coming up, some book I was waiting for the bookstore to restock. Sure, I had friends I’d hang out with, but whatever we did, wherever we went didn’t matter—just that we had all decided to take a break, so there was no specific place—only the space made with certain people.”
“But before you came here, what were you up to? You graduated months ago, correct?”
“Well, I worked over the summer, saving up money to come here and pursue my dreams.”
“And why New York?”
She looked at him like he was a little crazy.
“Is it not the concrete jungle where dreams are made?”
He laughed.
“Yes, something like that, I suppose.”
“Besides, it seems more integrated here. More…advanced in a number of ways. I know New York has its own problems, but let’s remember I’m coming from the deep south. I’ve heard people say it feels they’ve traveled back in time a few decades when they come to visit. It’s still pretty shamelessly segregated in parts. You and me doing what we’re doing right now in parts there? Boy, the stink eyes we’d get. And more.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s still like that,” he said, shaking his head.
“Believe it. That social segregation permeates pretty much all aspects—whether you’re filling your tank at the gas station and the cashier decides to help the white person who came in after you first, or you boldly get watched and followed in a department store. Like, in additional to institutionalized racism, people actually still yell the N-word from their cars.
“I remember one time seeing my mom crack up at something on screen—something as simple as a genuine interracial friendship being represented or a white customer service type treating a black customer respectfully or something. That was like comedy gold to her; she was practically in stitches. Anyway, where I lived, because some parts really keep to themselves, I wasn’t directly affected so much. I pretty much got the worst of it when I went to the state college. There were several incidents during my time there I’d rather not get into while we’re on this lovely date.”
She paused to smile at him but he didn’t smile back.
“Mari, I’m dating you now. I want to hear about all aspects of your life. You don’t need to spare me any sordid details—we are here together to have fun, but also to learn more about each other. So lay it on me, partner; I can take it.”
“Fine. But I’ll still stretch it out; you don’t need everything at once. But for example, I got rejected by all the Bama sororities. I graduated salutatorian of my high school class with a 4.3 GPA, had extracurricular activities out the wazoo, and I’m pretty friendly and open. But nope—they have a strict ‘whites only’ policy. At the time I was pretty bummed about it, but I later realized it was for my own good. The girls would have probably hazed me to death or outright smothered me in my sleep and then come up with some cover story that no one would have questioned, so they definitely did me a favor.”
“I’m really sorry to hear this, Mari.”
“I warned you.”
“I don’t mean that I want you to stop sharing these hardships with me. I’m in your life now, and I’m here to protect you. Beyond supplementing your lack of street smarts, I’ve got your back. Things like that happen, you let me know. As you like to throw in my face, I’ve got lots of money and power; I can make people pay for hurting you.”
Maribel’s heart began to melt, so she quickly tried to change the subject, unable to deal with the emotions
“I definitely didn’t have a place like this. There’s nothing like this,” she said as she looked all around her.
“Not even in college?”
“My own dorm room, I suppose, away from everybody. But that’s behind me. And it’s nowhere near as peaceful as this place because the stress was constant. It ebbed and flowed, but there was always some paper due, some test coming up, some book I was waiting for the bookstore to restock. Sure, I had friends I’d hang out with, but whatever we did, wherever we went didn’t matter—just that we had all decided to take a break, so there was no specific place—only the space made with certain people.”
“But before you came here, what were you up to? You graduated months ago, correct?”
“Well, I worked over the summer, saving up money to come here and pursue my dreams.”
“And why New York?”
She looked at him like he was a little crazy.
“Is it not the concrete jungle where dreams are made?”
He laughed.
“Yes, something like that, I suppose.”
“Besides, it seems more integrated here. More…advanced in a number of ways. I know New York has its own problems, but let’s remember I’m coming from the deep south. I’ve heard people say it feels they’ve traveled back in time a few decades when they come to visit. It’s still pretty shamelessly segregated in parts. You and me doing what we’re doing right now in parts there? Boy, the stink eyes we’d get. And more.”
“It’s hard to believe it’s still like that,” he said, shaking his head.
“Believe it. That social segregation permeates pretty much all aspects—whether you’re filling your tank at the gas station and the cashier decides to help the white person who came in after you first, or you boldly get watched and followed in a department store. Like, in additional to institutionalized racism, people actually still yell the N-word from their cars.
“I remember one time seeing my mom crack up at something on screen—something as simple as a genuine interracial friendship being represented or a white customer service type treating a black customer respectfully or something. That was like comedy gold to her; she was practically in stitches. Anyway, where I lived, because some parts really keep to themselves, I wasn’t directly affected so much. I pretty much got the worst of it when I went to the state college. There were several incidents during my time there I’d rather not get into while we’re on this lovely date.”
She paused to smile at him but he didn’t smile back.
“Mari, I’m dating you now. I want to hear about all aspects of your life. You don’t need to spare me any sordid details—we are here together to have fun, but also to learn more about each other. So lay it on me, partner; I can take it.”
“Fine. But I’ll still stretch it out; you don’t need everything at once. But for example, I got rejected by all the Bama sororities. I graduated salutatorian of my high school class with a 4.3 GPA, had extracurricular activities out the wazoo, and I’m pretty friendly and open. But nope—they have a strict ‘whites only’ policy. At the time I was pretty bummed about it, but I later realized it was for my own good. The girls would have probably hazed me to death or outright smothered me in my sleep and then come up with some cover story that no one would have questioned, so they definitely did me a favor.”
“I’m really sorry to hear this, Mari.”
“I warned you.”
“I don’t mean that I want you to stop sharing these hardships with me. I’m in your life now, and I’m here to protect you. Beyond supplementing your lack of street smarts, I’ve got your back. Things like that happen, you let me know. As you like to throw in my face, I’ve got lots of money and power; I can make people pay for hurting you.”
Maribel’s heart began to melt, so she quickly tried to change the subject, unable to deal with the emotions
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