Knight & Day

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems pt. 2

-Phoenix-

I had to be driving at least ten miles under the speed limit as I rode through Madison Square looking for a boutique called Genevieve's. Tyson sent me the address a few minutes before Damien and I decided to finish up our lunch at Akbar's and I couldn't help but wonder how he even got my number. We hadn't exchanged them as far as I could remember, but my phone was company-issued so I figured it didn't take much for him to get ahold of it. I did my best to explain to Damien why I wouldn't be heading back into the building with him after lunch and he gave me another one of his skeptical looks, but after I offered the same explanation Tyson had given to Rose, he seemed to let it go. We parted ways in the lobby and I headed back out to the executive lot around the corner, excited about the rest of my afternoon.

It'd been a while since I was behind the wheel of a car but driving was like riding a bike. You never really forgot how to do it. Driving a Tesla, however, felt quite a bit different. Electric cars were always sort of weird and elusive to me but I felt like I was driving a damn spaceship as I eased through the upscale shopping area with other luxury cars. There were so little buttons and so many touchscreen controls that I was scared I'd fuck something up if I pressed anything too many times. I had to google how to even start the damn thing and once I figured it out, I took my precious time driving it all the way across town, praying nobody on the road was having a bad day and decided to take it out on the rest of us. I'd just die if anything happened to his car in my possession, and although I'm sure Tyson has insurance, I'd still feel guilty and want to pay for repairs if it ended up damaged in any way. I had no idea how much Tesla repairs would cost but I felt comfortable assuming it was a lot more than I wanted to spend, even with $50,000 in my bank account.

When I finally found the place I was looking for, I parked in a space that had plenty of distance from other cars and paid the meter before heading inside. The first thing I noticed was how absolutely amazing it smelled. A scent I could only describe as warmth mixed with luxury and opulence hit my nose and instantly set the tone for my shopping experience. The entire boutique was decorated in a soft pink and cream theme with gold detailing on all the furniture and clothing racks. Every dress hung perfectly on specially made golden hangers, and all the mannequins were dressed like Hollywood A-listers. I also didn't miss how the sizes and shapes of them varied, showcasing different kinds of elegance on different bodies. It instantly squelched my concern about whether or not Tyson's friend could actually find something for me to wear. A woman with my body type didn't usually find her size in designer clothing and I was worried his grand gesture might go to waste. As I looked around, I knew it wouldn't.

"Good afternoon, beautiful. You must be Phoenix," spoke a deep, welcoming voice. I turned in the direction it was coming from to find a tall, ridiculously handsome man smiling warmly at me. He was the color of peanut butter with bright green eyes and deep pink lips, towering over me by at least an entire foot. His long brown hair was in gorgeous natural tendrils and bounced whenever he moved. His facial features were strong and sharp, completely contrasting with the softness in his gaze, complementing each other perfectly. As he stepped closer, I realized his face was almost too perfect. There was something about the way his eyebrows and mustache were cut to precision that set off alarm bells in my brain but I didn't exactly know why.

"Um, yes... I'm looking for a friend of Tyson's? I'm sorry, he didn't mention a name," I replied, holding out my hand for him to shake. Instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and kissed it but for some odd reason, I just knew it was anything but sexual.

"My name is Taj. I'm the owner here and your stylist for today. Welcome to Genevieve's," he introduced himself. His words were surprising but not in a bad way, just unexpected. I tried to wrap my head around them as I responded.