Kiss Lonely Goodbye Read Online Free Page B

will join us.”
    â€œGreat idea,” Uncle Lionel chimed in before Nicole couldspeak. He stood. “I’m hungry. I’ll call right now and get a small room set aside at Brennan’s.” He went to the other end of the room and picked up the phone on a long side table against the wall.
    Marcus wore a serene expression. “I’m free, as a matter of fact.”
    â€œGood. We’ll meet in the lobby in thirty minutes,” Stanton said.
    â€œYes, sir.” Marcus made a few nimble keystrokes on the laptop, then made a graceful exit.
    â€œThe bum!” Nicole burst out the instant the heavy door whisked shut behind him. “He spent the morning undermining my authority.”
    â€œHow, specifically?” Stanton asked.
    â€œWell, he—” Nicole raised a hand. She searched for words. Seconds went by while her father drummed his fingers on the table. “It was just his attitude. You know what I mean. Talking down to me while he’s got this kiss-ass smile on his face.”
    â€œA certain amount of tension is to be expected under the circumstances. None of the management staff know what kind of changes to expect.” Stanton sat forward. “You’ve got to establish credibility with your staff. They’ve probably heard you’re not too thrilled to be their new boss.”
    â€œSpeaking of which, any news on how I can get out of here?” Nicole muttered.
    â€œThe will is ironclad. Now stop whining,” her father commanded.
    Nicole indulged in a few more seconds of pouting before she sat up straight and grinned. “I’ve got at least six months to show Mr. Wise-Ass Marcus Reed who he’s dealing with.”
    â€œNicole,” her father’s voice grumbled low, his usual warning sound.
    Nicole laughed and waved both hands in the air. “Just kidding around, Daddy.” She grew serious again. “I don’t want to see anybody unemployed or a Summers family business go down in flames. I’ll take care of business.”
    â€œGood, girl.” Stanton’s scowl relaxed into a paternal smile of affection. He kissed her forehead. “I knew I could count on my cute little honey-bunny.”
    â€œPlease don’t call me that in front of anybody!” Nicole shook her head hard. “I’ve got enough of a hurdle getting respect. They all think I’m a pampered Black American Princess as it is.”
    Her father grunted. “They’re right. Not that I can’t take some of the blame for indulging you all these years.”
    Uncle Lionel came back rubbing his hands together. “It’s all set. Stanton, we’ve got a few minutes to make that call to Washington, D.C. to the lobbyist.”
    â€œRight. We pooled resources with other minority business owners to hire a top lobbying firm. Separate, we could never afford their hefty fees.”
    â€œOkay. Stay and use the phone here. I’ll meet with my secretary.” Nicole retrieved the phone and hooked it to a jack set in the conference table.
    â€œSee you in a little while, baby.” Stanton hit the speaker button as he spoke, his mind already on his own business.
    Nicole waved goodbye to them and retreated through the door directly into her office. Once the door closed, her shoulders slumped. Getting through her first morning as head of Summers Security had taken a toll. She massaged the back of her neck and rolled her arms in a circle to loosen up. The view from her window was less than wonderful. She stared at parking lots and traffic on the street below. The five-floor office building sat in downtown Houston miles from Uncle Hosea’s expensive home in River Oaks. With a sigh, she went to the small wet bar in the eastern corner of the officeand got a bottle of spring water. As she glanced around, Nicole started planning how to redecorate.
    Russell came through the door without knocking. His eyes narrowed to slits. “Who