Read Online Two Steps Back by Britni Danielle - Free Book Online Page A

grieving the loss of her son and barely tending to her daughter. For months, Jaylah watched as her father catered to her mother, cooking meals, cleaning the house, and rearranging his schedule at work to nurse Mrs. Baldwin back to herself. Jaylah’s father also lavished his baby girl with attention, aware of how much of a toll her mother’s depression was having on her little seven-year-old life.
    Jaylah glanced over at Johnny. He certainly reminded her of her father. When her morning sickness had gotten so bad she was sprawled out on the couch for days, Johnny brought his office to her flat so he could still close deals while making sure she didn’t become dehydrated again and end up in hospital. Despite their beginning, Johnny had been a man of his word. He showed up when he said he would, called daily to make sure she was okay, and if she ever needed to bury a body, she knew he’d be there with the shovel.
    Johnny was a good man, but there was a thin line between concerned partner and controlling mate. She promised herself to pay attention to which s ide of the divide Johnny towed.
    “Here we are,” Jaylah said, breaking the quiet that had enveloped them. “You have just about every high end retailer here, want to try Neiman Marcus first?”
    “I’m just the passenger, babes, you lead the way.”
    She parked the car behind the store, which took up an entire block, and she and Johnny made their way inside.
    As soon as they entered Neiman Marcus Jayleh felt underdressed, the £20 floral maxi dress and jean jacket she picked up at Cafe Vintage seemed too boho for such an elegant space. She watched the sales associates, dressed in crisp black suits and sensible heels, size her up then dismiss her as too poor to shop in their venerable store. They were partially right. Jaylah’s budget was more suited for bargain hunting and sample sales than spending thousands of dollars on a Givenchy bag. But there was no harm in browsing, right?
    The first floor of the department store glistened with its polished marble floors, ambient lighting, and stately glass cases full of wares Jaylah could scarcely afford. As usual, Johnny strode through the store confident he belonged. Unlike Jaylah, he often bought things without looking at the price, never glanced at the check before whipping out his credit card to pay a bill, and regularly spent more on a perfectly tailored suit than she paid in rent.
    Jaylah enjoyed the fruits of Johnny’s labor, never having to pay for a beer, a dinner, or a night out when they were together, but their unequal financial footing made her nervous.
    Now that they were expecting a child would he insist she give up her career under the guise of being concerned for the baby? Would he use his money to control her life, her decisions? Would she become so dependent upon him that she couldn’t afford to leave, even if it were necessary?
    Jaylah vowed she’d keep her In Case Shit Happens account fully funded, just in case she needed to make an escape; she refused to be trapped.
    They had been in the store for ten minutes and not one clerk had given them more than a passing glance. They were no closer to finding the men’s department, so Johnny took the lead. They walked toward a woman rearranging gold watches in a display case and waited for her to acknowledge them. When she didn’t even look up, Johnny spoke up.
    “Pardon me, ma’am,” he said, deploying the formal British accent he usually reserved for business. Jaylah watched as the woman’s expression changed from annoyed to enamored once she finally looked at Johnny. As she padded toward them, the gaunt woman curled a wisp of blonde hair behind her ear and smiled a little too wide for Jaylah’s liking.
    “How can I help you, sir?” she said, ignoring Jaylah.
    “I’m looking for the men’s department. Where might I find it?”
    “Take the escalators all the way up to the top floor,” she said, sticking out her chest and showing all of her