Lillie Grant, the only grandchild of socialites Paul and Dorothy Grant, is the heiress to the Grant fortune. The Grants built their fortune in the magazine industry, and today own the county’s largest black magazine publication, “The Clique.” Lillie had been groomed and was positioned to take over the legacy of her grandparents, but what she always wanted was to create her own destiny, carve her own path and make her own decisions without her grandparent’s influence. It was Daniel’s persistent pressures that kept Lillie in good graces with her grandparents. She kept in touch on holidays and managed to attend an occasional board meeting. Lillie’s interest in the company never aligned with her grandparent’s plans. Despite her rebellious nature, Lillie’s grandparents adored her, and whether she wanted it or not, this empire would one day be hers.
Lillie was on her way home to Connecticut after a long week in Los Angeles, tending to the family business. While she enjoyed the pampering of fancy hotels, Lillie couldn’t wait to get home soak in her tub and lay in bed next to her husband.
She had called Daniel the night before she was to return home, but his phone went to voicemail. Lillie hadn’t spoken to her husband in two days. It wasn’t unusual for them not to talk everyday but he would usually find the time to send her a late night “I love you text” before going to bed.
Something didn’t feel right to Lillie this time. The flight was five hours long and the time difference would put her arrival into LaGuardia at rush hour. Daniel was normally the one who met her at the airport, but since she couldn’t reach him, she didn’t want to take the chance of not having transportation and she scheduled a pickup with her driving service.
Meanwhile back in Connecticut….
Daniel drunkenly stumbled to the door of his home; tired and frustrated after a long night. It was around noon on the East Coast and after listening to Lillie’s voicemail, Daniel realized he had just enough time to shower and change clothes before Lillie arrived. Just as he attempted to put the key into the lock, someone whispered in his ear. “How much longer do you think you can keep this up Daniel?” He stood there frozen because he knew that voice spelled trouble. “Well, aren’t you going to let me in?”, she laughed. Daniel furiously turned around and asked, “What are you doing here, Monique?” Daniel stood there staring at her waiting for a response. He was used to Monique playing petty games; after all that’s how their relationship started in the first place. “I see you’ve done well for yourself Daniel” she laughed. She ran her fingers across his lips as if to tell him there was no explanation necessary. She continued to look around hoping Lillie would open the door. This was the moment she’d been waiting for, but it didn’t happen. Lillie was hundreds of miles away. “Look, Monique, I think you better leave.” Daniel spoke in a slow but stern voice as he tried to control his anger towards Monique. He motioned his hand for her to leave, but she was unwavering as she stood there confronting Daniel. “Does she know Daniel?” Monique asked. “Exactly what do you think is going to happen Daniel when your little heiress finds out what you’ve been up to?” Daniel took Monique by the arm to escort her off his property, but she wasn’t leaving without a fight. She was determined to get what she’d come for. She came to expose Daniel for what he really was, a liar and a con.
How It Went Down
Y’all remember when they met, Daniel was her boss…. looking all sweet like that glazed breakfast doughnut? Lillie was attracted to him the moment she said hello. And from the first kiss, she was all in! Well as fate would have it, Lillie got transferred to another location, which allowed her to freely date Daniel. Sneaking around and keeping a prohibited workplace relationship a secret, was spicy and adventurous. His discrete office location made quick ten-minute rendezvous easy but being in different locations was much better. They dated for nearly 2 years and Lillie found herself defying her own rules of falling in love. Daniel, however, did not play a part in her 5-year plan which consisted of education, launching her career in fashion, and eventually buying her first piece of property. She needed to do this to honor her mother’s memory. She knew a man would get her off track because she had seen that train-wreck play out before with her mother.
A Mother’s Dreams
Lillie refused to allow the same thing to happen to her… She’d watched her mother, Dorothy fall prey to the demands of her parents. Working long days and nights with little time for recreation. Dorothy managed her anxiety with the occasional drink that turned into a habit and a bout with depression. Crushed!!!!, is how Lillie remembered her mother. Her dreams and her passions went unfulfilled. Family meant everything to Lillie’s mother, even at the expense of her own personal happiness. Her mother had only a handful of sister/girlfriends who she could call on when she needed to vent about a man or to go on an occasional girl’s trip. Lillie had no relationship with her father. Because of her mother’s feelings towards him, she rarely saw him. She’d heard rumors that her grandparents paid him off to leave their daughter alone. Lillie was a junior in high school when her mother passed away and with no father to lean on went to live with her grandparents. Lillie was determined never to succumb to the pain her mother experienced because of family loyalty. She was strong-willed and determined to succeed by her terms. She didn’t want their money and for the last two years of high school worked at the local department store to save up for college. She didn’t know where she would choose to go to school but she knew she had to get away from the Grants and their rules.
Back To Mr. Messenger
As time passed, Daniel and Lillie’s relationship grew apart. Lillie would leave home early and come home late, exhausted with little time for romance or random conversation. Daniel was the romantic one in the relationship and unlike Lillie’s parents, Daniel’s parents were happily married for more than fifty years. He was used to seeing his father treat his mother like a queen and so loving Lillie came natural to him. Many evenings he spent blowing out the candle filled room he had prepared for her and putting up the dinner he prepared that she never came home to eat. It was obvious he had become an after-thought and Lillie’s focus was elsewhere.
Hey You
Daniel started visiting the local sports bar to ease the pain and loneliness. He soon became consumed with gambling and the debt’s associated with it. One night while sitting at the bar, he noticed this gorgeous woman dancing in the middle of the floor. She didn’t care there was no one else on the dance floor; she had found her groove, in her own world. She wasn’t the kind of woman you would find in a sports bar on a Friday night. She was well dressed, hair crinkled, pulled up into a bun. Her lips were beautifully lined with red lipstick and she wore stilettos that showcased her sexy legs. He stared at her for a few minutes, watching in pleasure as she flirtatiously danced in the middle of the floor. Her sultry movements were a dead giveaway that she noticed him watching. He made his way to the make-shift dance floor and got close to her. The smell of her exotic perfume turned him on. He closed his eyes and fantasized what it felt like to be desired again. They swayed to the music, rhythmically in sync, both wanting the same thing. Without saying a word, he could tell by the movement of her hips, and the smile on her face she was all in for whatever happened that night. This sexy lady was what he needed. He enjoyed every moment as he held her in his arms. They danced, drank, and talked until the bar closed. He wasn’t ready to go home to an empty apartment with one of Lillie’s famous, “I’ll be home late” notes. “Hi, I’m Daniel”, he stretched out his hand. “Hi Daniel, I’m Monique.”
