Free Family Ties by Nina Perez

Chapter One
     
    Family Matters
     
    Chloe
     
    "You are brilliant!"
     
    Lila jumped out of her chair; face fixed with a triumphant smile, and walked around her desk to hug me.
     
    "Well, we still have to sign her.” I replied.
     
    “Oh, we will.” Lila returned to her seat. “Set up another team meeting. I want to run your idea by everyone first, but I’m sure they’ll be just as excited.”
     
    We’d landed the account of a major cosmetics company and were fixed with the task of coming up with a social media campaign for their new Soft and Moist lipsticks. The team Lila had gathered for the account weren’t creating concepts that worked; they were all too sexy.  I had suggested using a popular young actress who had just left a soap opera to make movies.  She had the clean image the cosmetic company wanted, she wasn’t in every magazine so there was no risk of over exposure, and she’d yet to be caught by TMZ doing anything scandalous.
     
    I entered my own office feeling proud that Lila liked my idea and hoped it would be my opportunity to do more in the company.  I was cleaning off my desk for the day when Myra knocked and entered.
     
    “Do you mind if I go home first?”
     
    I’d been so elated over my meeting with Lila that I’d totally forgotten Myra was coming over for dinner. “Sure.  What do you feel like, beef or chicken?”
     
    “You know I love me some beef, girl,” Myra replied with a wink. “I’ll be there by six-thirty.  Should I bring anything?”
     
    “Nope, just yourself.”
     
    Myra left and the nervousness I felt when she’d first accepted my dinner invitation earlier that week returned.  Though things were pretty much back to normal between us, she still hadn’t met Patrick and was constantly asking me questions on how my new living arrangement was going.  It was almost as if she were waiting for things to turn sour. I suspected that coming over for dinner was more about sizing up Patrick than spending time with me.
     
    When I entered the apartment that evening I wasn’t surprised to find it incredibly clean.  Ever since the night my mother called, Patrick and I had gotten into a smooth rhythm and even worked out a cleaning schedule, taking turns handling the major duties. My cell phone vibrated in my purse, alerting me to a text message. It was from Crystal.
    Still picking up Bri this weekend?
    I wrote back: Of course! I already got our tickets to the exhibit.
    I kicked off my shoes and, since there was no sign of Patrick, I felt free to turn up my Robin Thicke CD while I prepared dinner.  At six forty-five the intercom buzzed.
     
    “Who is it?” I asked as I pressed the button marked talk .
     
    “It’s me, girl.” Myra answered.
     
    I pressed the buzzer then waited at the apartment door as she made her way to the second floor. Girlfriend looked good in a rust-colored suede pantsuit that signaled dinner at my place wasn’t her only plan for the night.
     
    “Check you out,” Myra said as she handed me a bottle of red wine.
     
    “What?” I asked.
     
    “Fancy intercom system.  I’m scared of you.”
     
    “Well, I was scared of being robbed.”
     
    “I heard that.”
     
    We laughed and I felt silly for doubting the evening would be anything but fun.  We’d had our moments, but Myra was my closest friend and we’d seen each other through a lot.  If she was no longer tripping over Patrick moving in, I wouldn’t hold a grudge over the things she’d said. We were in the living room eating homemade spinach dip and waiting for our steaks to broil when Patrick came in from the gym.
     
    “Hey you,” I called out as he entered the apartment. I made the introductions and noticed how Myra gave Patrick the once over.
     
    He wore black sweatpants and a white tee shirt under a matching black hooded jacket, which he removed before shaking Myra’s hand. His muscles flexed as he extended his arm and I felt my stomach tighten. I knew what it felt like