A Tempting Proposal

“Great. I look forward to it.” As Daman began walking toward the door, he saw something flicker out of the corner of his eye. He looked in that direction and noticed a gold frame on the fireplace mantel that caught the light. For some reason, he needed to get a closer look at the photo in the frame.

Daman could tell that Imani was wondering what had caught his attention. He walked over to the photograph and studied the picture with intense concentration.

“Daman, is everything okay?” Imani asked, breaking his concentration.

He couldn’t explain why he kept staring at the photo. The little girl in the picture was undoubtedly Imani. Her facial structure and features looked the same now as they did when the photo was taken, only more mature. Yet there was a slight difference he couldn’t place that had nothing to do with maturity.

“I’m fine. Who’s the woman in the picture with you?”

Imani walked over to her fireplace. “It’s Gamine.” She picked up the photo and lightly touched the frame. “It was taken when I was seven. Gamine had taken me out of town on a shopping trip. We had the best time.”

Daman knew Imani and Gamine were extremely close, so it was hard to see her look so lost as she stared at the photo. Imani set the frame back down and quickly glanced at him before her eyes settled back on the photo. In that short second, he saw the flicker of despair in her eyes.

That’s what it is. Imani’s eyes had noticeably changed since her youth. In the photo, her eyes were filled with love and happiness, yet in the few times Daman had seen her, they lacked the same elation that the photo captured. She had been a carefree child, and she now carried the weight of adulthood on her shoulders, but his inner voice told him it was something deeper than that.

Imani abruptly stepped back from the fireplace. “Shall I walk you out?”

Her voice sounded pleasant enough, but she wore a plastered smile on her face that might have appeared genuine to many. Daman knew the difference, but luckily for Imani, he wasn’t the type to interfere in other people’s business. He didn’t even know why he cared so much, and the fact that he was so curious about how she felt worried him. He decided it was best if he left before he did or said something he would regret.

“Thanks for a good evening, Imani. Have a safe flight, and feel free to call me if you need anything while you’re in Atlanta.”

“Thanks, Daman. Have a good weekend.”

After the door closed behind him, Daman tried to process his reaction to the photo. “What is it with this woman?” he asked to no one in particular before heading home.

Chapter 6

As Daman walked toward his private jet at the Chicago Aurora Municipal Airport, he massaged the back of his neck, trying to work out the knot that had developed. He didn’t know if the cause of his discomfort was due to all the commuting between Detroit and Chicago, or to the couple in the hotel room next to his who’d constantly argued until 3:00 a.m.

Yesterday, he’d called his friend Thompson Davis, better known as “Tommy” on The Jimmy King Morning Show, to see if he could be a surprise guest the same day Imani would be on the show. Daman was honest with Tommy, knowing that he would jump at the chance to pull something unexpected on the show. He wasn’t surprised when Tommy agreed.

He didn’t tell Imani he was going to be on the show and he couldn’t wait to see the look on Imani’s face when she realized he would be in Atlanta at the same time she was. After the night they’d met at her place, after that dress she’d worn to purposely throw him off his game, he knew he had to regain some ground. And keeping his appearance on the show a secret might help give him a leg up. He needed to throw her off balance, and he suspected she hated surprises.

Reaching for his phone, he quickly dialed his mom. He and his mother were extremely close. His parents had experienced several miscarriages early in their marriage, but then on his mom’s thirty-eighth birthday, she’d gotten pregnant with him.

“Good morning, Mom! How are you?”

Patricia Barker yawned softly. “Daman, baby, it’s 5:00 a.m. I love hearing from you, but why are you calling me so early?”

He laughed at his mom’s comment. “I thought you’d be up already.”

“Daman, I’m an old retired woman. I don’t need to get up at the crack of dawn—especially on a Monday.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving for Atlanta in a few minutes. The jet is waiting now.”

“Is this for the gala?”

“Yes, it is. I’ll be in Atlanta with my partner this week. Then I was thinking about dropping by to see you.”

“I would love that, baby. I’ve been waiting for you to come down here.”

“I know, Mom. My visit is long overdue.” Daman had not been by to see his mom since she moved to Florida two years ago. She usually visited him in Detroit.

After a few more minutes, he ended the conversation and boarded the jet.

He would be at his destination shortly, so there was no time for a nap. He had to make a quick stop in Detroit before going to Atlanta.

Daman composed himself as he exited his jet and walked toward his rental car. The meeting he was about to have would, no doubt, impact his life. Regardless of the outcome, he needed to figure out what was going on with his uncle.

He pulled into the secluded parking lot of a forest preserve for his meeting with Private Investigator Malik Madden.

“It’s good to see you again, Malik,” Daman said.

“Same here. Shall we get right down to it?”

“Yes. My uncle has been very good about covering his tracks. I’m hoping you’ll be able to provide me with enough evidence to bring him down once and for all.”

Malik looked at him with concerned eyes. “Daman, I appreciate your confidence in me, and you’re right, I am very good at what I do. If your uncle is keeping any secrets, I’ll find out, but you have to be prepared for all outcomes.”

“I understand completely. The pros outweigh the cons. For the past few years, I’ve watched my uncle carefully and something isn’t right. I need to find out what he’s got up his sleeve. It’s about time I stand up for my father’s dream.” Daman understood Malik’s concerns, but he knew this was the right thing to do. He was sure Malik had seen many people back out of investigations that turned ugly. But Daman would stop at nothing to reach his goal.

“I will contact you periodically as needed.” Malik handed Daman a large manila envelope.

“Here is an outline of your case. Everything you need to know or do is explained in this envelope. Like you said, your uncle did a very good job of covering his tracks.”

“Right,” Daman agreed. “And my father was a great businessman. The company was extremely prosperous when he was alive. It’s hard to believe that Barker Architecture wouldn’t have had enough funds to stay afloat.”

“I understand your concern and sooner or later we will figure out what your uncle’s hiding,” Malik replied.

Daman took the folder from Malik, hoping the case would get cracked sooner rather than later.

* * *

Imani eased into the luxurious hotel bathtub just as her iPhone rang. “Hello?”

“Hi, sweetheart. How was your flight?” Hope’s happy voice floated through the phone.

“Mom, I’m so glad it’s you! It was fine. How’s Fiji?”

“Oh, baby, Fiji is wonderful. Your father and I just spent all day on an amazing tour of the island.”

“That’s great, Mom.”

Imani grinned as her mom told her about the trip so far. She was happy for her parents, especially her mom. She had taken Gamine’s death the worst of all, yet she was finally returning to her old self.

“I’m happy for you and Dad. You two needed a vacation. And you seem happy.”

Imani hoped her mom hadn’t heard the slight break in her voice.