"So, tell me," Lucky started as she pulled off her jacket and sat on the sofa. "I saw you with Beck last night, holding hands. Where did you guys run off to? All I know is you two were together and pretty cozy, I would've investigated more but you know Nicolas and Marcus."
"Um, yeah, Beck asked me to a more private area, to ask if I wanted to start a relationship with him," Cherokee began as she walked over to the sofa and sat next to her childhood best friend.
"That's it, that's all I get?" Lucky asked as she shifted in her seat and put her head on Cherokee's shoulder. "He took you to another V.I.P. room and all he did was ask you out? Wow, the guy's even more boring than I thought,"
"Is that someone in the driveway?" Cherokee questioned as she pouted her bottom lip to Lucky.
"Cherry, I'm pretty sure Beck sent a car for you because Reggie is outside leaning up against the vehicle," Lucky said as she peeked out of the living room blinds.
"Oh, I didn't think he meant this early," Cherokee rose to her feet and went to the shared bedroom. "Tell Reggie I'll be out in a second,"
"Hey, Reggie," Lucky spoke as she put on her tan cardigan and walked outside. "Is the car for both of us or just for Cherry?"
"Hello, Ms. St. Pierre, my instructions are just for Ms. Rains. I am to take her to Mr. Petersen's office," Reggie uttered as he tossed the cigarette butt from his mouth.
"His office?" Lucky inquired as she scrunched her eyebrows together, and folded her arms across her chest. "Why would he make her go to his office? Oh, he must have something important to handle and then wants to whisk her away somewhere,"
"Hey Reggie," Cherokee opened the door as she grabbed her purse. "I hope I didn't have you waiting long,"
"Not at all Ms. Rains," Reggie remarked as he opened the back door of the limo.
"Have fun!" Lucky called out as she waved them off.
"Ms. Rains, we're here," Reggie declared as he opened the back door.
"Oh, Reggie, sorry I must have zoned out, I didn't realize we were here already," Cherokee voiced out as she stepped out of the limo, and stared at the tall building. Before she could utter another word Reggie had taken off out of the parking lot. So, she looked up at the building once again before swallowing hard and walking through the glass rotating doors, and up to the receptionist's desk.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" Asked the mousy brown-haired receptionist, without taking her eyes off the computer screen.
"Hi, umm... Terrah..." Cherokee started but was quickly cut off as the receptionist finally looked at her.
"Oh, Ms. I think you're in the wrong building, state funding is three buildings down," Terrah smirked as she looked Cherokee up and down.
"No, I'm here to see Mr. Petersen," Cherokee spoke softly as she brushed back her black hair behind her ears.
"No, I don't think so, what's your name?" Terrah questioned as she put her fingers back on the keyboard in front of her.
"Cherokee Rains," She cleared her throat as she watched two men in suits get into a gold elevator.
"Hmm..." Terrah paused as she raised an eyebrow at the computer screen before turning back toward Cherokee. "I guess you do have an appointment, go up the elevator to the twelfth floor, take a right, go all the way to the end, then you'll see another receptionist with blonde hair, that'll be Mr. Petersen's office behind her,"
"Thank you," Called out Cherokee as she made her way to the elevators and silently pushed the twelfth button.
"You must be Cherokee Rains," Philippa stared down at Cherokee as she walked up to the desk. "I don't know why you're here, but if it's to apply for my job, think again."
"Ahh, Cherokee, you're here, I thought I heard voices outside the door," Beck opened the door to catch a glimpse of Ms. Carver beginning to rise out of her seat. "Come in, I see you met my secretary, Ms. Carver,"
"Yes, I don't think she likes me very much," Cherokee said as she watched Becket close the door behind them.
"Shall we?" Beck motioned to the seat in front of his desk as he walked around to sit in his chair. "Now, I took the liberty of drawing up the contract, we shall go over it together. From hench forth we are in a relationship, I need you to move in with me, let's say in three days' time, that shall be long enough for you to gather your things. Though if you wish I could buy you all new things, yes we shall go with that, can you move in tomorrow?" He questioned with an ink pen in hand as he finally looked at her bewildered face.
"Tomorrow?" She shrieked as she continued to stare at him.
"Yes, I don't know if I mentioned this, but my father expects me to be married in three months' time, Cherry, Shall we continue?" He watched as she slowly nodded her head. "Good. We shall continue to go out with the others every Friday and Saturday night, we shall make appearances together as often as possible. Date nights shall be Sundays and we shall go to my parents every other Wednesday. You will meet them, let's shoot for ahh this Wednesday is just fine. To show that we are in love we will give each other pet names, sex..." He paused as he looked up from his thick eyebrows. "Is on the table, I'm not opposed, you will however not have your own room, as Mother loves to snoop and unfortunately does have a key to my house. We can discuss sex later then, I will do my very best to stay faithful to you during our contract, which will last oh what do you say eighteen months?" Once again he watched as Cherokee nodded her head. "I will pay twenty grand when the contract is up, and I will give you a debit card, you can spend it on whatever you wish. You will not sue me, you will not ask for more money, and you will not get alimony, agreed? Wonderful, I will have Reggie pick you up tomorrow morning, take only what you deem necessary,"
"But I don't understand, why does he want you to move in?" Lucky blurted out as she threw a pair of socks into my suitcase. "He wants me to," Cherokee said as she folded a shirt throwing it on the bed. "He wants you to, so you go?" Lucky whined as she plopped on the bed. "It's... it's a little more than that," Cherokee replied as she sat on the bed next to her best friend since childhood. "A little more?" Lucky furrowed her black eyebrows together as she rolled up a sweatshirt and hugged it to her chest. "Yes, I have kept something from you, and you know me, it's so hard for me to keep things from you," Cherokee folded up another shirt and put it into her suitcase. "If I tell you, you have to promise that you will not tell a soul, I know how you get when you've had too much to drink," "True, but I promise, now tell me what have you been keeping from me?!" Lucky shrieked as she slapped Cherokee's arm. "I signed a contract, a marriage contract with Beck, he's giving me money, and
"I apologize for my mother," Beck stated as he opened the door to his house. "No, she was lovely," Cherokee retorted as she walked in behind him. "Right," Beck rolled his eyes as he loosened his tie and began to take off his black dress shoes. "Well, as I told you earlier, I would give you a room but my mother loves to come here without warning and snoop," "Good evening, Mr. Petersen, Chef Baldone has offered baked chicken for dinner," An older woman said as she walked into the living room. "Ahh yes, Mrs. Sands, thank you that's fine," Beck uttered as he took off his suit jacket and handed it to his head maid. "Oh, and this is my fiance Cherokee Rains," "Yes of course, good to meet you, Ms. Rains," Mrs. Sands stated as she nodded her head toward Cherokee. "You can call me Cherry," Cherokee smiled at the older woman as she slipped off her floral dress jacket. "Come, Cherry, let's get you settled," Beck uttered as he walked toward his room. "I've had some things removed and made r
"Ahh Cherry you're awake," Becket began as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I do apologize once again for my mother's behavior." "You apologized enough last night, she isn't a bother," Cherokee said as she took a cup from the cabinet and poured herself coffee. "Are you off to work this morning?" She asked as she looked down at his shorts and dark blue robe. "No, with Mother sleeping here, I'm not sure when she'll go home and I don't want her asking too many questions." Beck pulled out the wooden stool as he reached for the newspaper sitting down. "What do you have planned?" "We are going on a little girls' shopping trip!" Sonya spoke loudly as she barged into the kitchen. "Becket do fix mommy a cup of coffee," She recited as she walked over to the kitchen table to have a seat. "You're not going on a shopping trip, Mother," Becket uttered as he closed his robe and moved toward the cabinet to fix his mother a cup. "Oh no?" Sonya muttered as she raised her thin eyebrow in his dir
"Are you sure this is all worth it?" Lucky asked as she helped her zip up the sixth dress. All that happened to be picked out by Tonya and Sonya. "What do you mean?" Cherokee questioned as she brushed down the invisible wrinkles on the wedding gown. This one in particular was quite tight around the bosom and covered in beads."They are clearly racist, and you're just putting up with it," Lucky said as she looked at her best friend through the mirror. "Is this all worth it?""Not here, I don't want them to hear," Cherokee whispered as she opened the curtain leading to the showroom. "We'll talk about this later," She plastered a smile on her face as she headed through the last curtain to the two women waiting on the sofa."No, I thought I liked it, but turns out I don't," Tonya uttered as she squinted her eyes."No, I'm in agreeance, it doesn't suit you. But don't worry, we will find you the right one," Sonya muttered as she lifted her glass to be refilled."Hello, all!" Came a voice f
"Yes, Lucky, Beck left for work this morning," Cherokee stated as she threw the covers off of herself. "So, he just left?" Lucky asked as she switched her cell phone to the other ear. "After everything that happened yesterday?" "Yeah, I mean I'm fine." Cherokee lied as she tossed her silk pink robe Becket had picked out at the boutique earlier that week. "I know that he has work. Besides, I'll get some much-needed time to explore this enormous house." "You haven't seen the house yet?" Lucky questioned as she pulled up a pair of tight jeans over her hips, struggling as she buttoned them up. "Ugh, I think I'm gaining weight," "No, I haven't. His mom came over the day I moved in. She was drunk and sort of kept us up before she passed out on the sofa." Cherokee opened the bedroom door and made her way to the kitchen where the maid was making breakfast. "What do you mean, you're gaining weight? Lucky, you're super skinny!" "Good morning, Ms. Rains," Mrs. Sands announced as she plopped
"So, Lucky, how long do you plan to grace us with your presence?" Becket asked his fiance's best friend as he studied the interaction between the women seated on the sofa. It had been three days since Lucky showed up in his house without an invitation. He didn't get many guests, but for those he did have, he required them to ask beforehand. There were the occasional run-ins with his drunk friends or his meddlesome parents, but even his brother and cousins had the decency to give him a heads-up. He watched Cherokee push herself sideways so she could look at him and her friend gave him the awful expression, as if he dared to ask her that question. "Is it a bother for her to be here?" Cherokee snapped. Something Beck did not expect to happen. The times that he had been around his new fiance, she was sweet. Full of hope, kind, and not at all like the display of raw emotion he just witnessed. "No. Not at all. I was just inquiring." Becket brought his attention back to his phone and tried
"Cherokee!" Lucky shouted as she ran up to the long raven-haired girl standing barefoot under a tree. "Lucky!" Cherokee smiled as her best friend came running up to her. "Is something wrong?" She asked hugging her tightly. Her mahogany hair blew freely in the wind and Cherokee's butter scotch-colored skin seemed to always kiss the sun the way it showed in the day. "Girl, did you forget?" Lucky punched her shoulder playfully as she interlocked their arms. "We're going to Owen's Bar in the city tonight." She dragged out in hopes her friend of twenty-two years would get the slightest clue the slower she spoke. "Oh, no, I forgot, sorry," Cherokee apologized as she rested her head on Lucky's shoulder as they continued back into the reservation where they lived. "We still have time, come on!" She pulled her down the dirt-covered road to the third trailer on the right. The Rez as it was commonly called by those who lived there, those who are registered Native Americans to be exact. "This
"So, sorry I didn't come last night, the guy at the bar was just too cute, I couldn't pass on that opportunity." Lucky laughed as she walked through the front door of their shared trailer. "It's okay, the guy you left me with was kind of rude," Cherokee stated as she put her empty cereal bowl in the sink. "Who, Becket?" Lucky asked as she picked up Cherokee's bowl and filled it with cereal making her way to the plastic round table. "Yeah, he's like that, his brother, Kaleb is so much nicer, but Beck wins in the looks department. So, I got a text from Nick and he wants us to come back tonight." "Oh, I don't know, I was planning on just relaxing at home." Cherokee turned on the television while sitting back on the older brown sofa. "Cherry you do that every day, it's Saturday, it's time to let your hair down yeah." Lucky grabbed the bowl and headed to the sofa where she plopped next to her best friend. "Come on, the only person that won't be there is Kaleb, he's got some modeling gig
"So, Lucky, how long do you plan to grace us with your presence?" Becket asked his fiance's best friend as he studied the interaction between the women seated on the sofa. It had been three days since Lucky showed up in his house without an invitation. He didn't get many guests, but for those he did have, he required them to ask beforehand. There were the occasional run-ins with his drunk friends or his meddlesome parents, but even his brother and cousins had the decency to give him a heads-up. He watched Cherokee push herself sideways so she could look at him and her friend gave him the awful expression, as if he dared to ask her that question. "Is it a bother for her to be here?" Cherokee snapped. Something Beck did not expect to happen. The times that he had been around his new fiance, she was sweet. Full of hope, kind, and not at all like the display of raw emotion he just witnessed. "No. Not at all. I was just inquiring." Becket brought his attention back to his phone and tried
"Yes, Lucky, Beck left for work this morning," Cherokee stated as she threw the covers off of herself. "So, he just left?" Lucky asked as she switched her cell phone to the other ear. "After everything that happened yesterday?" "Yeah, I mean I'm fine." Cherokee lied as she tossed her silk pink robe Becket had picked out at the boutique earlier that week. "I know that he has work. Besides, I'll get some much-needed time to explore this enormous house." "You haven't seen the house yet?" Lucky questioned as she pulled up a pair of tight jeans over her hips, struggling as she buttoned them up. "Ugh, I think I'm gaining weight," "No, I haven't. His mom came over the day I moved in. She was drunk and sort of kept us up before she passed out on the sofa." Cherokee opened the bedroom door and made her way to the kitchen where the maid was making breakfast. "What do you mean, you're gaining weight? Lucky, you're super skinny!" "Good morning, Ms. Rains," Mrs. Sands announced as she plopped
"Are you sure this is all worth it?" Lucky asked as she helped her zip up the sixth dress. All that happened to be picked out by Tonya and Sonya. "What do you mean?" Cherokee questioned as she brushed down the invisible wrinkles on the wedding gown. This one in particular was quite tight around the bosom and covered in beads."They are clearly racist, and you're just putting up with it," Lucky said as she looked at her best friend through the mirror. "Is this all worth it?""Not here, I don't want them to hear," Cherokee whispered as she opened the curtain leading to the showroom. "We'll talk about this later," She plastered a smile on her face as she headed through the last curtain to the two women waiting on the sofa."No, I thought I liked it, but turns out I don't," Tonya uttered as she squinted her eyes."No, I'm in agreeance, it doesn't suit you. But don't worry, we will find you the right one," Sonya muttered as she lifted her glass to be refilled."Hello, all!" Came a voice f
"Ahh Cherry you're awake," Becket began as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I do apologize once again for my mother's behavior." "You apologized enough last night, she isn't a bother," Cherokee said as she took a cup from the cabinet and poured herself coffee. "Are you off to work this morning?" She asked as she looked down at his shorts and dark blue robe. "No, with Mother sleeping here, I'm not sure when she'll go home and I don't want her asking too many questions." Beck pulled out the wooden stool as he reached for the newspaper sitting down. "What do you have planned?" "We are going on a little girls' shopping trip!" Sonya spoke loudly as she barged into the kitchen. "Becket do fix mommy a cup of coffee," She recited as she walked over to the kitchen table to have a seat. "You're not going on a shopping trip, Mother," Becket uttered as he closed his robe and moved toward the cabinet to fix his mother a cup. "Oh no?" Sonya muttered as she raised her thin eyebrow in his dir
"I apologize for my mother," Beck stated as he opened the door to his house. "No, she was lovely," Cherokee retorted as she walked in behind him. "Right," Beck rolled his eyes as he loosened his tie and began to take off his black dress shoes. "Well, as I told you earlier, I would give you a room but my mother loves to come here without warning and snoop," "Good evening, Mr. Petersen, Chef Baldone has offered baked chicken for dinner," An older woman said as she walked into the living room. "Ahh yes, Mrs. Sands, thank you that's fine," Beck uttered as he took off his suit jacket and handed it to his head maid. "Oh, and this is my fiance Cherokee Rains," "Yes of course, good to meet you, Ms. Rains," Mrs. Sands stated as she nodded her head toward Cherokee. "You can call me Cherry," Cherokee smiled at the older woman as she slipped off her floral dress jacket. "Come, Cherry, let's get you settled," Beck uttered as he walked toward his room. "I've had some things removed and made r
"But I don't understand, why does he want you to move in?" Lucky blurted out as she threw a pair of socks into my suitcase. "He wants me to," Cherokee said as she folded a shirt throwing it on the bed. "He wants you to, so you go?" Lucky whined as she plopped on the bed. "It's... it's a little more than that," Cherokee replied as she sat on the bed next to her best friend since childhood. "A little more?" Lucky furrowed her black eyebrows together as she rolled up a sweatshirt and hugged it to her chest. "Yes, I have kept something from you, and you know me, it's so hard for me to keep things from you," Cherokee folded up another shirt and put it into her suitcase. "If I tell you, you have to promise that you will not tell a soul, I know how you get when you've had too much to drink," "True, but I promise, now tell me what have you been keeping from me?!" Lucky shrieked as she slapped Cherokee's arm. "I signed a contract, a marriage contract with Beck, he's giving me money, and
"So, tell me," Lucky started as she pulled off her jacket and sat on the sofa. "I saw you with Beck last night, holding hands. Where did you guys run off to? All I know is you two were together and pretty cozy, I would've investigated more but you know Nicolas and Marcus." "Um, yeah, Beck asked me to a more private area, to ask if I wanted to start a relationship with him," Cherokee began as she walked over to the sofa and sat next to her childhood best friend. "That's it, that's all I get?" Lucky asked as she shifted in her seat and put her head on Cherokee's shoulder. "He took you to another V.I.P. room and all he did was ask you out? Wow, the guy's even more boring than I thought," "Is that someone in the driveway?" Cherokee questioned as she pouted her bottom lip to Lucky. "Cherry, I'm pretty sure Beck sent a car for you because Reggie is outside leaning up against the vehicle," Lucky said as she peeked out of the living room blinds. "Oh, I didn't think he meant this early," C
"Cherry, I think Beck sent his car for us again tonight," Lucky screeched as she bent down the blinds from the living room window. "He definitely has a thing for you, maybe I should up my game with the Adams brothers," "I'm telling you, Lucky, I don't think he likes me," Cherokee rolled her eyes as she grabbed her purse and pulled down her cream-colored dress. "I'm going to find out why he's sending us the car then, it's the second time." Lucky made her way into the black limo, as she slid to the other side. "Since you say he doesn't like you, we'll see..." "You don't see the looks he gives me," Cherokee retorted as she followed Lucky into the limo. "Here, look I know Beck, uhh, Mr. Petersen doesn't tell you much but has he by chance said anything pertaining to me or Lucky?" She questioned the driver as she looked into his eyes through the rearview mirror. "No, ma'am, Mr. Petersen doesn't tell me anything, only where to go," Was his only reply as he rolled up the back window to se
"Where did you go last night, Beck?" Nick asked as he barged into his cousin's office. "Yes, you came in, said your hellos, and then were gone, you sneaky fox," Mark said as he walked behind his younger brother. "I umm... left," Was the brief reply Beck spoke out as he took yet another call. "Boys, I don't have time to play today, Philippa, Uh, Ms. Carver is not doing her job properly this morning, so I'm a bit swamped at this moment." "So, fire her," Nick relayed as he sat on the sofa next to his brother. "Ahh, he won't do that, dear brother, no I caught him with her skirt hiked up, sitting on our handsome cousin's desk." Mark retorted as he grabbed a handful of pecans getting ready to crack. "Shut up Marcus Dean," Beck raised his voice as he leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey Becket Levi, let's not resort to name-calling here," Mark whined as he popped a pecan into his mouth. "Yes, let's be civilized boys," Nick laughed as he rose from the sofa and walke