CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All (12 page)

Candy’s bright eyes widened as she looked at him. He definitely seemed sincere, but with Monty she never wanted to press her luck. “How exactly have I changed you?”

“I look at you now and I see the woman that I should’ve wanted to be with from the beginning. They say you don’t miss your well until it runs dry.”

Candy waved her hand in the air like she was in church, and then said, “Amen.” she chimed in.  

Monty ignored her smart remark and continued. “I can’t lie. I got distracted by MiKayla. I don’t know what it was that drew me to her, but it was something or I was just crazy and thinking with my other head.”

“Now that could explain it.” Candy said with a slick roll of the eyes. “Seriously though, I can see how. She’s a pretty girl.” Candy softly said. “She has business about herself and if nothing else it seemed like she loved you.”

“She’s not you, though. I don’t know what I was thinking. These past few weeks have been hell on me. It may not look like it, but trust me. I’m going through it.”

“I think you’re only feeling this way, because of Brendon.”

Monty stood up, feeling somewhat irritated by her saying that. “I’m feeling this way, because I fucked up a good thing. Yes, it bothers me that you’re seeing my cousin. I mean, who would’ve ever seen that one coming? But, I’ve had nothing but time to think things through. Plus, you know how Catherine Banks is. She’s been giving it to my ass so bad that I’d been looking for a nice bachelor pad of my own just to have a lil peace.” He said with a grin to try and play off his real feelings.

“Yeah, trust me I knooooow,” Candy dragged with a smile on her face. “She and I spoke the other morning when she came over. Once she gets started there ain’t no stopping her.”

“Tell me about it.” Monty said with a light chuckle.

“Well, for the record. Brendon and I aren’t seeing each other. I had a talk with him yesterday and I feel that I need to focus on me and my life and less on having a man in it to fulfill my needs.”

Monty smiled. “That’s smart thinking.”

“I bet it is.” Candy chimed in. “Speaking with your mom opened my eyes to a lot of things. She definitely keeps it real. Then my mom called and they gave me the same advice. How could I not take heed when the most important women in my life are giving me the same woman to woman talk?”

“No man defines who I am. Brendon is definitely every woman’s dream, from what I can tell, but your mom is right. I should really slow down and take my time before jumping right back into another relationship with anybody. That doesn’t mean that I’m gonna stop being good friends with him or that we won’t hang, but I’m not giving up the goods. Not yet, anyway.” She said with a slick smile since it seemed that Monty was bothered anytime she’d mention that.

Monty simply shook his head at her as he headed for the front door. He checked his Rolex, noticing that it was almost ten o’clock. “I don’t mean to cut this talk short, but I gotta run. I have a meeting with a client at eleven.”

“That’s fine,” Candy said as she walked him to the door. “I’ll pick up MJ tomorrow when I get off if that’s cool.”

“I never said that you couldn’t come by and get him. You chose to stop coming.”

“I know, but I’m glad that we had this talk. I feel so much better.” He told her.

“Well, do me a favor and talk with your cousin. He needs you and he loves you, too. I hate that y’all aren’t talking, because of me. That’s crazy. Y’all were too close for that.”

Monty nodded his head. “I hear you,” he said, but it was a part of him that was mad at Brendon for even trying Candy.

“I’m serious, Monty. Y’all need to talk.” She said hitting him on the arm.

“I hear you,” Monty repeated, and then without notice he leaned in and kissed Candy softly on the lips. The sweet, unexpected kiss caught her completely off guard as she stood there. “I know you don’t look at me the same anymore and I can’t blame you, but I want you to know that I’m truly sorry. You were everything that I needed in a woman. I was just too blind to see it. Do what you feel you need to do for yourself and if you need me, I’ll be here. I’ll see you tomorrow when I pick up MJ.” He said as he walked away. He never gave Candy any time to respond. He just wanted her to think about what he’d said in hopes that someday she’d be able to forgive him for being such a dick.

Chapter 9

Within the hour, Monty was pulling up in the parking lot of Winter’s Realty, the company that belonged to Susan and Elaine Winters. The mother, daughter duo was what one would call, the head honchos of the realty world. They were millionaires in their own rights and didn’t play when it came down to business. Monty admired Susan, because even though being a realtor came with somewhat of an easy access to making money; she still was power driven and made her own name.

As he reached for the latch of the driver door his cell phone rang, causing him to pause for a second while he answered the phone.

“What’s up, Kina?”

“Hey,” Kina apprehensively spoke back. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting ready to head into a business meeting.”

You’re always busy,
she sadly thought.

“What’s up? You good?” he questioned.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She responded. “Well, I was calling to see if we could have a lil lunch date later this evening.” She paused to see if he’d answer her right quick, but since he didn’t she continued. “I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks. I know we talk on the phone, but I miss you.” She added while nervously giggling like a school girl.

“Well uh,” Monty said with hesitance in his voice.

Here we go
, she quickly thought with a heavy sigh.

“This afternoon won’t be a good time.” He told her.

“Well, you name the day and I’ll be there.” She said hoping that’d work instead.

“Kina, I’ll have to get back with you on that one. We’ll talk though.” He said like he was in a hurry. “I’ll call you back later.”

“Uh, well… Oh okay,” he said, and with that Monty ended their call. He liked Kina, but not in that way and even though they had slept together; he still didn’t want to be with her in that way again. He was done being a player. Just like Candy was getting herself together and didn’t need a man to define her; he was doing the same.

“I don’t need a woman to define me and I can jack my dick until I can’t take it no more,” he said to himself with light laughter. He then got out of his car.

***

Within the next fifteen minutes, Monty was now inside of Susan’s office sitting in a comfortable leather chair across from her. She sat on the edge of her desk with her feet crossed as she smiled at him while flinging her medium length, dark brown hair from over her right eye. “You look good today,” she complimented him.

“As always, so do you.” He responded with a Colgate smile. He’d only met up with Susan a few times, but every time he saw her she was dressed nice and always had on an expensive pair of Red Bottoms with whatever she wore.

The Jessica Alba look-a-like batted her pretty eyes at him. She had the sexiest, deep brown eyes that he’d ever seen. Maybe it was because of her light tanned skin or her long, full eyelashes. All he knew was that whatever it was always seemed to play in her favor anytime they’d link up to close a business deal.

“So, what’s up Ms. Winters?” he eagerly asked with ambition spread across his face.

“Hm,” she said tapping on the edge of the desk with her short, freshly manicured nails. “I have this large piece of property that I want back. If you close this deal for me you’d be at least fifty million dollars wealthier overnight.” She said to lure him in.

Monty’s eyebrows raised out of curiosity. “Say what now? How much was that?” he questioned.

Susan smiled eagerly, and then said, “Fifty million dollars at the least. You’d be one rich man,” she told him.

Monty didn’t say a word. Susan stared in his eyes as she watched his body language through her peripherals. There was nothing until he cleared his throat, and then said. “What makes you bring this type of offer to me? Don’t get me wrong, you know I’m going all in. It ain’t no way I’m playing about making that type of money.”

“I knew you’d feel that way,” Susan said with smile.

Monty’s smile slowly disappeared as he cut his eyes at her. “What makes you bring this type of offer to me? You know I’m still relatively new in this business. There are other people I know you could’ve gone to.”

“There were others, but I came to you.” She said.

“You came to me, huh?” He said with a bit of confusion. It just wasn’t adding up to him. He’d closed three deals for her already, but nothing even closely amounting to fifty million dollars. He could retire with that kind of money and hadn’t been in business a good year. “So, Ms. Winters, tell me what the real deal is.”   

Susan’s stare glanced off a bit and then back over at Monty. The look on his face expressed that he needed to hear more, regardless of how much money it was on the line. “See,” she persuasively started.  “When I first got into this business there was a huge piece of property out by the Atlantic Ocean that my family had been trying to get for quite some time. The reason behind wanting the property so badly was because of sentimental value than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, this property is worth millions of dollars, but to have it back in my family would be priceless.”

Monty grinned to himself while thinking,
this is gonna be interesting
. He then leaned back in his chair eager to hear more.

“What I’m about to tell you may surprise you some, but it’s gonna help you with negotiating in the future. It may even come down to you knowing important information and using it in a way that gets you what you want.”

“Oh yeah,” Monty said scratching gently in his head. Inside the excitement was taking him over, but his cool demeanor never showed it.

“Many years ago my great-grandfather died and revealed in his will that he had property that my great-grandmother never even knew about. This property really took her interest by storm and it was only because of one reason. It was given to a woman by the name of Shirley Hunter.” Susan said, and then continued.

“Well, Shirley Hunter was closely affiliated with my family at one point in time. She used to be one of my great-grandmother’s best friends. However, to the people on the outside of my family, she was just her maid. Needless to say, my great-grandmother was very upset to learn that her husband had left a valuable piece of land to one of her dearest friends and to top it off, she had no knowledge of it. She couldn’t understand why he’d do such a thing behind her back. Convinced that something was going on, she had her attorney’s dig up things that led to many shocking secrets that my great-grandfather hid.”

“What type of secrets?” Monty pondered.

“One of them being the affair that he and Shirley Hunter had for many years,” Susan explained. “She also found out about the daughter that Shirley had given birth to and that her husband, my great-grandfather, was the biological father to this child.”

“Okaaay, well,” Monty whispered. The story definitely wasn’t one that he was expecting to hear about, but he was definitely all ears as he listened.

“Okaaay, well,” Susan mocked. “There’s more.”

“Somehow I already knew that.” He uttered.

Susan just looked at him. She knew what type of man Monty was so she just went with the flow as she continued. “Okay well, this said daughter of my great-grandfather’s died on her 18
^th
birthday, but not before giving birth to a son named Roger Hunter.”

“Roger Hunter?” Monty questioned with a frown. At that moment the last name Hunter started to make sense to Monty. “That’s Monica’s daddy.”

“It sure is.”

“Damn,” Monty commented in disbelief.

“You see my great-grandfather wanted to make sure that his mistress and their
love child
be just as well off as his wife and their children were.”

“I wasn’t expecting to hear something like that.” Monty interjected.

“I’m sure that you weren’t. However, the feud over this property is really deep. My family takes this matter very serious. The property held an unforgettable reminder that bore such a heartbreaking story; a story that ultimately took my great-grandmother’s life.”

“If this property brings back memories of such pain, distrust, and bitter feelings then why do y’all want it back so bad?” Monty questioned.