uncomfortable with his line of questioning.
Beyoncé was on the radio singing her heart out. They rode in silence for a few moments.
Malcolm chuckled to himself. “Well, I hope you enjoy your night with your friend.”
Sunny was getting sick of his smug laughter. She decided that he probably thought he was better than her. She had grown up in Brooklyn, snorted cocaine, and been immersed in the drug trade. Meanwhile, he had grown up in Wonderland.
“And what about you?” Sunny wore her own smug expression now.
“What about me?” he asked, confused.
“Who will you be spending your night with? Probably Miss Marketing back there. Or maybe the bubbly receptionist? They seem like ‘your type,’” Sunny said, using her fingers to make air quotes. “Blond, blue-eyed…”
“You got me all wrong,” he said, shaking his head. “Just because I have a law degree doesn’t mean that I only like white women.”
“When was the last time you dated a sister?” Sunny asked, curious.
Malcolm didn’t answer right away, causing Sunny to laugh as if his silence proved her point. “That long ago, huh?”
He shook his head. “No. I just had my divorce finalized three months ago. My wife got caught up in the Matrix once we moved to L.A. and things went downhill from there. So I haven’t dated anybody in a while—white, black or otherwise.” He glanced at Sunny. “But my wife was black, for the record.” He winked at her and turned his attention back to the road. He turned up the air-conditioning. “And I don’t have a type.”
Sunny nodded, accepting his correction. “Well, I sure do,” she said.
Malcolm grinned. “Really?” he asked, intrigued. “What is your type?”
Sunny shook her head. “Rough around the edges, from the wrong side of the tracks and addicted to life in the fast lane.”
He glanced at her again. “And why are you attracted to men like that?” he asked as they pulled up in front of her hotel.
Sunny shrugged, unbuckled her seat belt and sat there thinking about it for a few moments. “I guess it’s like they say. ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’” She winked at him. “See you in the morning for our breakfast meeting with Abe.”
Malcolm watched her climb out of the Range and sashay into the hotel lobby, turning the head of every man in her wake.
6
BROKEN PROMISES
Olivia dialed Sunny’s number and got her voice mail. At the tone, she let loose.
“ Bitch , you coulda told me you were going out to L.A. on a whim! I saw Jada today and she told me where you are. I would’ve definitely gone with you cuz I could use a few days away. Well, I’m working from home today, going over sample patterns and fabrics. You are gonna love these looks. Call me when you’re back.”
Olivia hung up and tried not to notice her man, Zion, huffing and puffing as if bothered by something she said. “What’s your problem?”
“You can go to L.A. if you want,” Zion said. “You sound like you wish it was you out there instead of being stuck here with me and Adiva.”
Olivia had to count to ten before exploding. Over the years, she had come to realize that she had a hot temper. She got it from her mama, may she rest in peace. Old Olivia would have quickly reacted, saying something slick and uncalled for. New Olivia was hurt by his attempt to lay a guilt-trip on her for something she had said casually in conversation. Zion knew that Olivia loved him and their daughter, Adiva, more than anything else on earth, so she tried to suppress her immediate reaction.
“If it was that serious and I really wanted to go, I would go. I don’t need your permission.”
Zion looked at her. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head instead.
“What’s on your mind?” Olivia asked him.
He kept shaking his head.
“It’s obvious you have something to say. So … I’m listening, Zion!”
“When’s the last time you cooked a meal around here, Olivia?”
Beyoncé was on the radio singing her heart out. They rode in silence for a few moments.
Malcolm chuckled to himself. “Well, I hope you enjoy your night with your friend.”
Sunny was getting sick of his smug laughter. She decided that he probably thought he was better than her. She had grown up in Brooklyn, snorted cocaine, and been immersed in the drug trade. Meanwhile, he had grown up in Wonderland.
“And what about you?” Sunny wore her own smug expression now.
“What about me?” he asked, confused.
“Who will you be spending your night with? Probably Miss Marketing back there. Or maybe the bubbly receptionist? They seem like ‘your type,’” Sunny said, using her fingers to make air quotes. “Blond, blue-eyed…”
“You got me all wrong,” he said, shaking his head. “Just because I have a law degree doesn’t mean that I only like white women.”
“When was the last time you dated a sister?” Sunny asked, curious.
Malcolm didn’t answer right away, causing Sunny to laugh as if his silence proved her point. “That long ago, huh?”
He shook his head. “No. I just had my divorce finalized three months ago. My wife got caught up in the Matrix once we moved to L.A. and things went downhill from there. So I haven’t dated anybody in a while—white, black or otherwise.” He glanced at Sunny. “But my wife was black, for the record.” He winked at her and turned his attention back to the road. He turned up the air-conditioning. “And I don’t have a type.”
Sunny nodded, accepting his correction. “Well, I sure do,” she said.
Malcolm grinned. “Really?” he asked, intrigued. “What is your type?”
Sunny shook her head. “Rough around the edges, from the wrong side of the tracks and addicted to life in the fast lane.”
He glanced at her again. “And why are you attracted to men like that?” he asked as they pulled up in front of her hotel.
Sunny shrugged, unbuckled her seat belt and sat there thinking about it for a few moments. “I guess it’s like they say. ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’” She winked at him. “See you in the morning for our breakfast meeting with Abe.”
Malcolm watched her climb out of the Range and sashay into the hotel lobby, turning the head of every man in her wake.
6
BROKEN PROMISES
Olivia dialed Sunny’s number and got her voice mail. At the tone, she let loose.
“ Bitch , you coulda told me you were going out to L.A. on a whim! I saw Jada today and she told me where you are. I would’ve definitely gone with you cuz I could use a few days away. Well, I’m working from home today, going over sample patterns and fabrics. You are gonna love these looks. Call me when you’re back.”
Olivia hung up and tried not to notice her man, Zion, huffing and puffing as if bothered by something she said. “What’s your problem?”
“You can go to L.A. if you want,” Zion said. “You sound like you wish it was you out there instead of being stuck here with me and Adiva.”
Olivia had to count to ten before exploding. Over the years, she had come to realize that she had a hot temper. She got it from her mama, may she rest in peace. Old Olivia would have quickly reacted, saying something slick and uncalled for. New Olivia was hurt by his attempt to lay a guilt-trip on her for something she had said casually in conversation. Zion knew that Olivia loved him and their daughter, Adiva, more than anything else on earth, so she tried to suppress her immediate reaction.
“If it was that serious and I really wanted to go, I would go. I don’t need your permission.”
Zion looked at her. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head instead.
“What’s on your mind?” Olivia asked him.
He kept shaking his head.
“It’s obvious you have something to say. So … I’m listening, Zion!”
“When’s the last time you cooked a meal around here, Olivia?”
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