Page 4 of Platinum Pressure

“I’m trying to make you my granddaughter-in-law.”

The funniest part of the whole interaction was Miss Nette wasn’t the first or the last client of mine to offer to hook me up with a male family member. They loved my fiery personality and kind heart. I could joke and play around, but at my core, I always remained focused on the tasks at hand.

I matched energy no matter where I went, and it always made women want to bring that energy to their sons, fathers, brothers, and uncles. The offer always flattered me, but there were lines I didn’t cross with my career on the line. I never wanted to put my licenses in jeopardy behind an inappropriate work relationship.

Plus, I enjoyed being single. I enjoyed the stress-free lifestyle. I didn’t have to worry about a man cheating on me, lying to me, or breaking my heart. I’d had my fair share of relationships fizzle out because I was too mature for the caliber of man I attracted. I was a big girl with a big personality and even bigger morals. I wanted a man who would love me, cherish me, and romance me like the books I fell in love with.

Unfortunately, this generation of men thought they were the prize. A man could never and would never be the prize in my story, especially when most of them brought nothing to the table besides subpar dick and headaches.

“Make sure you take it easy the rest of the day.”

“Chile, me and Mister Ronnie going to the boom boom room tonight.”

“Miss Nette!” A laugh erupted deep from my belly.

“Miss Nette got a life too, baby. Sundays are my favorite night to go dancing too. The jukebox always plays my favorite jams.”

“I’m gonna call your son and make sure he knows you’re finna hit the streets like a city girl.”

“What do the young girls be saying? City girls up by a thousand.”

I giggled. “You are a mess, Miss Nette. Be safe and have your fun, though. You deserve it after the workout you did today. I’ll see you next week.”

“Alright, baby. Twist that lock on your way out, please.”

“Of course.”

I gathered the weights and dropped them into my bag before I made my way out of her home. The fresh air and sunlight hit my face immediately. I welcomed the cool breeze with gratitude as I walked over to my car and got inside.

I relaxed into the seat and placed my bag in the passenger seat. Then I brought the engine to life and tapped on the music app to play my heavy rotation playlist for the ride home. Miss Nette was always my last client of the week because she lived the closest to my condo in Downtown Cade’s Cove.

Before I could get too deep into the song playing on the speakers, my phone rang.

Incoming call from HQ.

I pressed the answer button on the steering wheel.

“Hey, Martwon. What’s up?”

“We have an emergency client requesting our best nurse to do a job,” Martwon explained.

Martwon was the executive assistant at the agency I worked at. We’d become good friends over the years, and he always made sure my name was in rooms with the highest-paying clients. He always looked out for me, and I loved him dearly.

“You know I have the most clients on my roster right now. Is it a real emergency client or something that’s going to piss me off in the long run?” I asked with skepticism seeping through my tone.

“Baby, when you hear the details of the arrangement, you will not care about any client other than this one. You might actually drop Miss Nette.”

His statement piqued my interest.

“You know Miss Nette is my girl. Who the hell is this emergency client?”

“How far are you from the office? Jenna wanted to call you in the morning, but if you can get here soon, we can debrief you and get you locked in today.”

I contemplated his question. I wanted to go home and relax in bed, but a stronger part of me was curious about the client. It had to be someone big.

“I’m about forty minutes away from HQ. Y’all gon’ wait for me?”

“Absolutely. I’ll let our connect know you’re on the way.”