Page 8 of Beautiful Noise

“Shifted is putting it lightly. They gave me an ultimatum. Settle into my position as a TA and begin working toward my PhD or get out of their houseandI could no longer count on them.”

“So you left?”

I laughed sarcastically. “Oh I didn’t just leave, I jumped on the back of a motorcycle that belonged to the first man who smiled at me for longer than five seconds. After tossing up the middle finger to my parents, I was on my way to Atlanta from Houston.”

“How long have you been here?”

“A little over a year. The first nine months with Darren, the wanna be rapper who so graciously gave me a free ride out of town. The last six months I’ve been on my own. He and I didn’t work out. It didn’t take me long to discover that he had a nasty habit of sticking his dick in women he wasn’t living with and sometimes even brought them home to do so in our bed. The only part of the rapper lifestyle he seemed to get right was being very free with his private parts.”

“I can see how that could be a problem.”

“It was a big problem, so I left. It’s not cheap living on your own. I did okay for a while but then the place I worked closed unexpectedly and I was scrambling trying to find a job that paid enough to cover my expenses. I got behind on rent, my landlord changed the locks at my place yesterday, and now, here I am.”

She was quiet, staring at me as if trying to make sense of something. Just when I assumed she was going to throw me out on my ass, she smiled widely and said the last thing I expected to hear.

“Were you with Darren because you hoped his career would take off and you would be launched into a life of luxury?”

“No. I had no clue that was his life plan until after we made it to Atlanta. I foolishly hadn’t asked a lot of questions. I wanted as much distance between me and my parents as possible, and well, he was cute and didn’t ask many questions either.”

She stared for a long moment, as if considering my words, but then smiled.

“My son is out of the country. You can stay here until you figure out your next move and I won’t be calling your boss, so you can thank me for that as well. But unfortunately, I have a flight to catch. So you’re still going to have to get this place cleaned up before Ezren’s home.”

“Ezren?” I frowned and she nodded.

“My son.”

Her son’s name was Ezren. Why the hell would she assume any woman wanted to seduce a man named Ezren? He obviously had money but I couldn’t imagine he was a lady killer. He was probably some nerdy business tycoon who had millions in the bank because he spent most of his time handling corporate mergers.

“Oh, right. But why would you invite me to stay in your son’s house after everything I just told you?”

God, I hated to ask, but this might be a set up. The second she left; the cops could show up to haul me away.

“Because I like you.”

“Likeme? You don’t know me.” I frowned.

“Oh dear, I know you a lot better than you could ever imagine. For now, let’s just say I have a good feeling about you and I trust my gut. It’s never steered me wrong. I like you, Kori, and because I do, I’m giving you permission to stay here until you figure things out.”

“What about your son? I’m sure he might not agree with having an unwanted stranger living in his house.”

“Technically, it’s my house. I own Grand Diamond LLC. He puts most of his properties under the corporation to maintain privacy. Ultimately, I’m the majority shareholder. If he has any issues with you staying here, he can take that up with me. How he feels about the decision is not for you to worry about.”

She stood and stepped behind the chair she had been in, placing her hands on the back. “Do we have a deal?”

“Deal? I’m not sure this should be considered a deal. You’re the only one offering something.”

“You’re getting the house in order, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I was hired to do so. You hired me, which means you’re paying me, through Elite of course, but same difference.”

She flicked her wrist and softly rolled her eyes. “Well I’ll think of something. For now, you stay. Get things in order here.”She stepped away, walking to the refrigerator, prying the door open and immediately closing it back before turning to face me. It was empty, I had already checked.

“I’ll have groceries delivered. Any allergies I should be aware of?”

“No, but I can’t let you do that. I haven’t agreed to stay. And if I do, having a roof over my head is enough. You don’t have to feed me.”

She smiled softly, locking her hands in front of her body. “I don’t have to feed you but that’s exactly what I’m going to do. You can’t clean this place on an empty stomach.”