grin. “My apologies, Grimms . Please, let’s begin.”
Jackson pulled out the chair next to him and indicated for Melody to sit in it.
She tried to balk that he needn’t do that, that she in fact was there to work
for him, but he quelled her unspoken protest with an arched brow. Melody
obediently took her seat and glanced nervously around the table.
“This is Miss Melody Davis,” Jackson announced to the group, indicating Mel
with a sweep of his hand. “She is a long-time friend and a skilled business
manager. Melody has accepted the position as my new manager.”
Cheers and grunts of approval followed this news and Melody nodded her thanks.
Without further adieu, Jackson made his way around the table, introducing each
person as it came his or her turn.
“Mel, you’ve already met Mr. Harold Grimms , my
attorney. He’s a partner at Grimms and Ashby, the
firm contracted to handle all my legal matters.”
Melody nodded at the man in question, tried not to think about the unsavory
types of legal “matters” Jackson had beyond his business needs, and looked to
the next person down the table.
“Next is the illustrious Daysia , my stylist.” Jackson
indicated the striking young woman next to Grimms .
With her spiky purple and black hair, diamond nose stud, and dramatic makeup,
only a grown woman with sheer creative genius could look even half-sane decked
out in such a manner. But Daysia worked it and Mel
was impressed. The woman smiled in welcome and the effect was even more
staggering. Daysia was stunning.
Mel wanted to like her, so she tried not to wonder if Jackson had slept with
her along with the rest of the world. Not that it was her business, anyway.
Jackson could sleep with whomever he pleased. She just didn’t want to think
about it. Yeah, that was it.
“And of course, you’ve met Lenny, my head of security.”
The big, red-headed bear of a man grinned at her.
“Welcome to Ace of Spades, Little Red.”
Melody narrowed her eyes at him and he chortled with laughter. Jackson opened
his mouth to introduce the next man, but Melody stopped him with a hand on his
tattoo-sleeved forearm. Every hair on the back of his arm stood on end,
tickling her palm. Mel wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to her touch or just
part of his withdrawals, but it was easier to blame the withdrawals.
“Wait,” Melody interjected, eyeing Lenny with an evil grin. “I’m his boss now,
right?”
Jackson chuckled. “Yeah, you’re in charge of all my staff, so I guess you are.”
“Great,” she said, turning to Lenny. “Don’t call me ‘Little Red’ anymore.”
Lenny barked in laughter. “Whatever you say, Little Red Boss.”
The men at the table laughed and Mel’s cheeks burned. She’d been laughed at way
too much in her life and, though it was all in good fun, she still didn’t love
the feeling.
The fact didn’t get past Jackson.
“ Yo , Len,” Jackson called down the table to his
friend.
“Yeah, Jack?”
“Cut the shit,” Jackson said softly, a new edge to his voice. “Miss Davis has
my permission to fire your ass if you so much as look at her wrong. I don’t
care if she asks you to call her Joan of Arc or Cleopatra. You do it.”
Chuckling and muttering something under his breath along the lines of ‘pussy-whipped,’
Lenny gave a nod of understanding. “My apologies, Miss
Davis.”
“Mel is fine,” Melody suggested with a soft smile, trying not to gloat over her
victory- much.
“And this ugly, little bastard is Shortie , my
Jackson pulled out the chair next to him and indicated for Melody to sit in it.
She tried to balk that he needn’t do that, that she in fact was there to work
for him, but he quelled her unspoken protest with an arched brow. Melody
obediently took her seat and glanced nervously around the table.
“This is Miss Melody Davis,” Jackson announced to the group, indicating Mel
with a sweep of his hand. “She is a long-time friend and a skilled business
manager. Melody has accepted the position as my new manager.”
Cheers and grunts of approval followed this news and Melody nodded her thanks.
Without further adieu, Jackson made his way around the table, introducing each
person as it came his or her turn.
“Mel, you’ve already met Mr. Harold Grimms , my
attorney. He’s a partner at Grimms and Ashby, the
firm contracted to handle all my legal matters.”
Melody nodded at the man in question, tried not to think about the unsavory
types of legal “matters” Jackson had beyond his business needs, and looked to
the next person down the table.
“Next is the illustrious Daysia , my stylist.” Jackson
indicated the striking young woman next to Grimms .
With her spiky purple and black hair, diamond nose stud, and dramatic makeup,
only a grown woman with sheer creative genius could look even half-sane decked
out in such a manner. But Daysia worked it and Mel
was impressed. The woman smiled in welcome and the effect was even more
staggering. Daysia was stunning.
Mel wanted to like her, so she tried not to wonder if Jackson had slept with
her along with the rest of the world. Not that it was her business, anyway.
Jackson could sleep with whomever he pleased. She just didn’t want to think
about it. Yeah, that was it.
“And of course, you’ve met Lenny, my head of security.”
The big, red-headed bear of a man grinned at her.
“Welcome to Ace of Spades, Little Red.”
Melody narrowed her eyes at him and he chortled with laughter. Jackson opened
his mouth to introduce the next man, but Melody stopped him with a hand on his
tattoo-sleeved forearm. Every hair on the back of his arm stood on end,
tickling her palm. Mel wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to her touch or just
part of his withdrawals, but it was easier to blame the withdrawals.
“Wait,” Melody interjected, eyeing Lenny with an evil grin. “I’m his boss now,
right?”
Jackson chuckled. “Yeah, you’re in charge of all my staff, so I guess you are.”
“Great,” she said, turning to Lenny. “Don’t call me ‘Little Red’ anymore.”
Lenny barked in laughter. “Whatever you say, Little Red Boss.”
The men at the table laughed and Mel’s cheeks burned. She’d been laughed at way
too much in her life and, though it was all in good fun, she still didn’t love
the feeling.
The fact didn’t get past Jackson.
“ Yo , Len,” Jackson called down the table to his
friend.
“Yeah, Jack?”
“Cut the shit,” Jackson said softly, a new edge to his voice. “Miss Davis has
my permission to fire your ass if you so much as look at her wrong. I don’t
care if she asks you to call her Joan of Arc or Cleopatra. You do it.”
Chuckling and muttering something under his breath along the lines of ‘pussy-whipped,’
Lenny gave a nod of understanding. “My apologies, Miss
Davis.”
“Mel is fine,” Melody suggested with a soft smile, trying not to gloat over her
victory- much.
“And this ugly, little bastard is Shortie , my
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