will be, I promise.” I wink at him. “Come on, it’ll be fun. You can put your talents to the test.”
“What talents?”
“You’re lying-your-ass-off talents. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He refuses to smile, but I swear I can see the desire there. “When?”
“Right now. In your office.”
He shakes his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “No way. Ten minutes. Meet me outside at the corner of Fifth and East Fifty-Ninth.”
“Done.”
I wiggle my fingers at him and leave the building, ignoring David completely. I’m tempted to jump up and click my heels, but I resist the urge. For now, anyway.
Chapter Twenty
RALPH SHOWS UP WITH A scarf around his neck and black leather gloves on.
“What are you doing?” I ask, laughing. “It’s the middle of summer.”
“I don’t want to be recognized.”
“You’re calling him on the phone, moron. How’s he going to recognize you?”
“Hey! I’m helping you out, okay? Don’t call me a moron.”
That subdues me right away. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You’re not a moron, you’re just a little strange.”
“Look who’s talking.” He frowns at me. “What’s the number? And what am I supposed to say?”
I hand him the slip of paper. “I don’t care what you say. Just get me an appointment.” I lean in and nudge him. “Just let it flow.”
He stares at me for a long time and then shakes his head, dialing the phone. “You are so much trouble. My mother warned me about girls like you.”
“That’s because we’re so much fun.” I rub my hands together. “Just get me that appointment, that’s all I care about.”
He stares at the sky as he waits for the call to connect. I know exactly when it does because his face instantly undergoes a complete transformation. He’s no longer the uptight salesman at Cartier. Now he’s …
“Yo, hey girl, whass-up? This is R.J., personal assistant for Shay Dee, big up-and-comer for G-Unit. I need to book her an appointment for a little assistance if you know what I mean. Got your number from a friend. A trusted source, yo.” He chuckles like he and this girl on the other end of the line are old friends.
My jaw drops open. He’s a street-smart rapper from the inner city, talking about someone, I have no idea who. I think she might be a rapper too.
After he listens for a few seconds he responds. “Just a little nip and tuck. I don’t like to do deets on the phone. You never know who might be listenin’, you know how it is. So what … the doc got any time for my girl or not?”
He nods a few times and smiles. That grin comes through in his voice. “That’s perfect. You’re gold, baby. Twenty-fo’ carat.” He pauses and then shakes his head. “Nah, I ain’t got time to accomp’ny her. She’s gettin’ ready for a tour and I’m up to my azz in the work, yo, but you know, she’s a big girl. She’ll be incognito, no worries. The paparazzi won’t bother you. They won’t even know she’s there. Maybe we can get a drink sometime.”
He gives me a thumbs up. “Wednesday, three o’clock. She’ll be there. And yo, no assistants or any bullshit like that. She sees only the doctor. She values her privacy and so do we, fo’ real.”
I hear lots of yammering coming from the other end of the phone, but I don’t try and decode it; I’m too busy swirling around the sidewalk in circles of happiness.
Ralph shuts his phone off and sighs heavily. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
I run up and clap him on the back. “You’re amazing! Thank you so, so, so, so much.” I hug him, carried away by my excitement. I just watched a master at work. He could totally be my twin, except for the fact that we look absolutely nothing alike.
He shakes his head and pinches the space between his eyebrows. “Please tell me that’s the last time I’ll ever have to do something like that.”
“Absolutely. No problem at all. You’re off the hook.”
He
“What talents?”
“You’re lying-your-ass-off talents. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He refuses to smile, but I swear I can see the desire there. “When?”
“Right now. In your office.”
He shakes his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “No way. Ten minutes. Meet me outside at the corner of Fifth and East Fifty-Ninth.”
“Done.”
I wiggle my fingers at him and leave the building, ignoring David completely. I’m tempted to jump up and click my heels, but I resist the urge. For now, anyway.
Chapter Twenty
RALPH SHOWS UP WITH A scarf around his neck and black leather gloves on.
“What are you doing?” I ask, laughing. “It’s the middle of summer.”
“I don’t want to be recognized.”
“You’re calling him on the phone, moron. How’s he going to recognize you?”
“Hey! I’m helping you out, okay? Don’t call me a moron.”
That subdues me right away. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You’re not a moron, you’re just a little strange.”
“Look who’s talking.” He frowns at me. “What’s the number? And what am I supposed to say?”
I hand him the slip of paper. “I don’t care what you say. Just get me an appointment.” I lean in and nudge him. “Just let it flow.”
He stares at me for a long time and then shakes his head, dialing the phone. “You are so much trouble. My mother warned me about girls like you.”
“That’s because we’re so much fun.” I rub my hands together. “Just get me that appointment, that’s all I care about.”
He stares at the sky as he waits for the call to connect. I know exactly when it does because his face instantly undergoes a complete transformation. He’s no longer the uptight salesman at Cartier. Now he’s …
“Yo, hey girl, whass-up? This is R.J., personal assistant for Shay Dee, big up-and-comer for G-Unit. I need to book her an appointment for a little assistance if you know what I mean. Got your number from a friend. A trusted source, yo.” He chuckles like he and this girl on the other end of the line are old friends.
My jaw drops open. He’s a street-smart rapper from the inner city, talking about someone, I have no idea who. I think she might be a rapper too.
After he listens for a few seconds he responds. “Just a little nip and tuck. I don’t like to do deets on the phone. You never know who might be listenin’, you know how it is. So what … the doc got any time for my girl or not?”
He nods a few times and smiles. That grin comes through in his voice. “That’s perfect. You’re gold, baby. Twenty-fo’ carat.” He pauses and then shakes his head. “Nah, I ain’t got time to accomp’ny her. She’s gettin’ ready for a tour and I’m up to my azz in the work, yo, but you know, she’s a big girl. She’ll be incognito, no worries. The paparazzi won’t bother you. They won’t even know she’s there. Maybe we can get a drink sometime.”
He gives me a thumbs up. “Wednesday, three o’clock. She’ll be there. And yo, no assistants or any bullshit like that. She sees only the doctor. She values her privacy and so do we, fo’ real.”
I hear lots of yammering coming from the other end of the phone, but I don’t try and decode it; I’m too busy swirling around the sidewalk in circles of happiness.
Ralph shuts his phone off and sighs heavily. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
I run up and clap him on the back. “You’re amazing! Thank you so, so, so, so much.” I hug him, carried away by my excitement. I just watched a master at work. He could totally be my twin, except for the fact that we look absolutely nothing alike.
He shakes his head and pinches the space between his eyebrows. “Please tell me that’s the last time I’ll ever have to do something like that.”
“Absolutely. No problem at all. You’re off the hook.”
He
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