Post by The Circle Television Network on May 12, 2015 14:19:41 GMT -5
For weeks, Maleek Raheem had been working handd-in-hand with Trisha VanReardon, gaining her trust. When she finally asked him out on a dinner date, he didn’t know what to expect from her. The woman had been cryptic and flirtatious when inviting him…but he had no illusions when it came to her motives. Trisha wanted allies that she could count on to make sure that she got the maximum bang for her buck when she released the Oni Kymiku sex video. Through a series of carefully dropped hints and rumors, Trisha had become increasingly paranoid and then, just as he and Syn had hoped, she made her move.
To be sure, there were others in CTN that could have served as useful allies, but they all had aspirations that ran counter to her own. Raheem had never rocked the boat too hard…even though he made his moves when he could. Coupled with the fact that he also had his hands in every aspect of marketing, and suddenly he was a prime candidate. His only job was to not seem too eager. In that, he had also succeeded. Trisha had to all but beg him to risk siding with her over Syn…and that removed him from any suspicion she might otherwise have.
Now that he was in place, it was time for the game to begin. Raheem had one job…to find out where Trisha had hidden the video and all of its copies…and to get rid of them. Up until this point, Trisha had proven herself to be a cunning adversary. She had used the video to spurn Oni into going all out to win the LAW Championship…upping the value of the video as a result and she had also managed to keep the video hidden from everyone who tried to gain access to it. It was the latter that had necessitated this elaborate plan. If the video was anywhere on CTN’s servers, Syn’s connections could have found it and easily erased it, but there was no such luck.
So now they moved to Plan B, with Raheem acting as her ally.
Raheem had been surprised by the lack of actual work conversation on Trisha’s part, but he knew that she was a practiced interviewer and this was likely a technique that she was employing to set him more at ease. He played it smooth as he acted like his normal piggish-self…a task that he found harder and harder to do these days, since most of his thoughts turned to Nyako. It had been a long time since anyone had him wrapped around their little finger…Crystal Hilton had been the last one. Their break up had happened so slowly that he really wasn’t sure when it had ended…but it had. Every since, he had played the field and focused on his work. Things had paid off with his promotion in CTN…but every since the two nights that he had spent with Nyako, he hadn’t wanted anything else but to spend more time with her.
Sitting with Trisha, who was arguably one of the most stunning women he had laid eyes on, should have been great…but something about it felt wrong. He and Nyako weren’t official…hell, she didn’t even return his calls or text…nor did she spend time with him in public. For her, he was just a booty call…and while that should have been enough…he really was into her…more than he had been into anyone in years. That was part of the reason that he was so confused. He really wanted to be with her…to be there for her, but all she did was give off mixed signals. Maybe it wasn’t even her fault…everyone hated his guts…especially her sister Oni. Maybe that was the reason that Nyako shunned him. If that was the case…then this little gambit of his would go a long way towards him getting in Oni’s good graces. This would prove his loyalty to everyone that doubted him.
Trisha’s blue eyes sparkled as she stared at him over the top of her wine glass. She sat the glass down and leaned forward. “Let’s talk turkey Raheem…the reason that you are here is because I need an ally at CTN. This Oni sex tape is going to be huge…but only if I can distribute it properly.” She smiled, “That is where you come in. You’re the man behind CTN’s marketing machine…and I want you to be the man who’s in my corner. I am prepared to make you my partner in this…maybe not a 50/50 partner, but a partner nonetheless. I know that you have had a past with Syn and maybe a few of her cronies…but I need for you to be willing to cut those ties and be my ally in this.”
Raheem stroked his chin as he considered her carefully. This is what he had hoped for, but still he needed to play it cool and not seem too eager. “Trish…look, you know a brotha be wantin’ to move up in CTN. The business relation I had wit’ Syn, was just some back in th’ day type shit. She done moved on and I done th’ same, but I aint tryin’ do get into no kinda war between th’ two of you.”
Trisha chuckled, and took another sip of her drink. “War? No…this is hardly going to be anything like that. Syn wants a piece of my action…but she’s not going to get it…no one is. The video is mine and I am going to profit on it.” She smiled at him, “I am offering you a piece…that’s all…nothing more and nothing less. All I need from you is one word…yes or no.”
Raheem took a drink out of his own glass and made a show out of considering what she was offering. The answer was going to be yes…but there was no reason to seem overly eager. “What’s my cut?”
Trish smiled, “We can talk figures later. Over the last few weeks, you have shown that you can be a valuable asset to me…and I want that relationship to continue. Things are heating up right now…and I have to make a move soon. I need you to be in my corner once I do.”
This was exactly what he wanted, but still that was one thing that nagged at him. “Trisha…all this shit sounds good to me babygirl…but I gotta ask th’ question…why you goin’ so hard at Oni? I mean…if I didn’t know better, I’d think this shit was fuckin’ personal.”
A strange look crossed her face, then quickly disappeared. She leaned forward, staring at him. “It’s business Raheem…nothing more. So…I ask you again…are you in or are you out?”
There was obviously more to it than that, but she was going to be pressed on the issue. Raheem held up his drink, “Count me in.”
Trisha mirrored him as she picked up her drink as well, “Salute…” The pair chugged their drinks, but Trisha’s eyes stayed fixed on Raheem, even after she sat her glass down. “Now that we have come to an understanding…I think it’s time that you and I…come together.”
Raheem nearly choked on his drink as he realized what Trisha was proposing. There was a time when he would have dragged her into the coat room and screwed her brains out…but that time was past. He wanted Nyako…even if she only wanted him, when she ‘wanted’ him. He sat his drink down, watching her uneasily. “Errr…Trisha…you sure you don’t wanna keep this thang’ strictly professional? I mean…you know…don’t want no kinds of drama…”
She looked at him, cocking her head to the side. “You turning down a free roll in the hay?”
Raheem could feel her hot gaze all over him…looking through him. He wondered if she could sense that his reluctance wasn’t born of professional caution, but something personal…his love of Nyako. The thought instantly frightened him. Not the fear of being found out…but the fear that he actually ‘loved’ Nyako.
Trisha arched her brow at him, “So…are you really turning me down?”
Raheem stared at her for another moment, then turned and signaled for the check. “Your place?”
Trisha smiled and winked, “My place…partner.”
Raheem already felt like shit and he hadn’t even laid a finger on Trisha yet. He had feelings for Nyako that ran deep…maybe too deep, but the fact of the matter was that he was doing this for her. He needed to win Trisha’s trust in order to get his hands on the X-rated video of her sister. Nyako never had to know what he had to do to get it…only that he was the one that had saved her sister’s honor.
One night of passion for a lifetime of gratitude? That seemed like a fair exchange to Raheem…
Hopefully Nyako would feel the same…
To be sure, there were others in CTN that could have served as useful allies, but they all had aspirations that ran counter to her own. Raheem had never rocked the boat too hard…even though he made his moves when he could. Coupled with the fact that he also had his hands in every aspect of marketing, and suddenly he was a prime candidate. His only job was to not seem too eager. In that, he had also succeeded. Trisha had to all but beg him to risk siding with her over Syn…and that removed him from any suspicion she might otherwise have.
Now that he was in place, it was time for the game to begin. Raheem had one job…to find out where Trisha had hidden the video and all of its copies…and to get rid of them. Up until this point, Trisha had proven herself to be a cunning adversary. She had used the video to spurn Oni into going all out to win the LAW Championship…upping the value of the video as a result and she had also managed to keep the video hidden from everyone who tried to gain access to it. It was the latter that had necessitated this elaborate plan. If the video was anywhere on CTN’s servers, Syn’s connections could have found it and easily erased it, but there was no such luck.
So now they moved to Plan B, with Raheem acting as her ally.
Raheem had been surprised by the lack of actual work conversation on Trisha’s part, but he knew that she was a practiced interviewer and this was likely a technique that she was employing to set him more at ease. He played it smooth as he acted like his normal piggish-self…a task that he found harder and harder to do these days, since most of his thoughts turned to Nyako. It had been a long time since anyone had him wrapped around their little finger…Crystal Hilton had been the last one. Their break up had happened so slowly that he really wasn’t sure when it had ended…but it had. Every since, he had played the field and focused on his work. Things had paid off with his promotion in CTN…but every since the two nights that he had spent with Nyako, he hadn’t wanted anything else but to spend more time with her.
Sitting with Trisha, who was arguably one of the most stunning women he had laid eyes on, should have been great…but something about it felt wrong. He and Nyako weren’t official…hell, she didn’t even return his calls or text…nor did she spend time with him in public. For her, he was just a booty call…and while that should have been enough…he really was into her…more than he had been into anyone in years. That was part of the reason that he was so confused. He really wanted to be with her…to be there for her, but all she did was give off mixed signals. Maybe it wasn’t even her fault…everyone hated his guts…especially her sister Oni. Maybe that was the reason that Nyako shunned him. If that was the case…then this little gambit of his would go a long way towards him getting in Oni’s good graces. This would prove his loyalty to everyone that doubted him.
Trisha’s blue eyes sparkled as she stared at him over the top of her wine glass. She sat the glass down and leaned forward. “Let’s talk turkey Raheem…the reason that you are here is because I need an ally at CTN. This Oni sex tape is going to be huge…but only if I can distribute it properly.” She smiled, “That is where you come in. You’re the man behind CTN’s marketing machine…and I want you to be the man who’s in my corner. I am prepared to make you my partner in this…maybe not a 50/50 partner, but a partner nonetheless. I know that you have had a past with Syn and maybe a few of her cronies…but I need for you to be willing to cut those ties and be my ally in this.”
Raheem stroked his chin as he considered her carefully. This is what he had hoped for, but still he needed to play it cool and not seem too eager. “Trish…look, you know a brotha be wantin’ to move up in CTN. The business relation I had wit’ Syn, was just some back in th’ day type shit. She done moved on and I done th’ same, but I aint tryin’ do get into no kinda war between th’ two of you.”
Trisha chuckled, and took another sip of her drink. “War? No…this is hardly going to be anything like that. Syn wants a piece of my action…but she’s not going to get it…no one is. The video is mine and I am going to profit on it.” She smiled at him, “I am offering you a piece…that’s all…nothing more and nothing less. All I need from you is one word…yes or no.”
Raheem took a drink out of his own glass and made a show out of considering what she was offering. The answer was going to be yes…but there was no reason to seem overly eager. “What’s my cut?”
Trish smiled, “We can talk figures later. Over the last few weeks, you have shown that you can be a valuable asset to me…and I want that relationship to continue. Things are heating up right now…and I have to make a move soon. I need you to be in my corner once I do.”
This was exactly what he wanted, but still that was one thing that nagged at him. “Trisha…all this shit sounds good to me babygirl…but I gotta ask th’ question…why you goin’ so hard at Oni? I mean…if I didn’t know better, I’d think this shit was fuckin’ personal.”
A strange look crossed her face, then quickly disappeared. She leaned forward, staring at him. “It’s business Raheem…nothing more. So…I ask you again…are you in or are you out?”
There was obviously more to it than that, but she was going to be pressed on the issue. Raheem held up his drink, “Count me in.”
Trisha mirrored him as she picked up her drink as well, “Salute…” The pair chugged their drinks, but Trisha’s eyes stayed fixed on Raheem, even after she sat her glass down. “Now that we have come to an understanding…I think it’s time that you and I…come together.”
Raheem nearly choked on his drink as he realized what Trisha was proposing. There was a time when he would have dragged her into the coat room and screwed her brains out…but that time was past. He wanted Nyako…even if she only wanted him, when she ‘wanted’ him. He sat his drink down, watching her uneasily. “Errr…Trisha…you sure you don’t wanna keep this thang’ strictly professional? I mean…you know…don’t want no kinds of drama…”
She looked at him, cocking her head to the side. “You turning down a free roll in the hay?”
Raheem could feel her hot gaze all over him…looking through him. He wondered if she could sense that his reluctance wasn’t born of professional caution, but something personal…his love of Nyako. The thought instantly frightened him. Not the fear of being found out…but the fear that he actually ‘loved’ Nyako.
Trisha arched her brow at him, “So…are you really turning me down?”
Raheem stared at her for another moment, then turned and signaled for the check. “Your place?”
Trisha smiled and winked, “My place…partner.”
Raheem already felt like shit and he hadn’t even laid a finger on Trisha yet. He had feelings for Nyako that ran deep…maybe too deep, but the fact of the matter was that he was doing this for her. He needed to win Trisha’s trust in order to get his hands on the X-rated video of her sister. Nyako never had to know what he had to do to get it…only that he was the one that had saved her sister’s honor.
One night of passion for a lifetime of gratitude? That seemed like a fair exchange to Raheem…
Hopefully Nyako would feel the same…