Chapter 1
Gabrielle Carmen had to be hard nose. In the real estate market in this hard times, she was manager of over ten different office buildings and the decision always landed on her desk to evict businesses out of their offices. Dealing with business people was harder than just dealing with the general public.
Dealing with business people who didn't want to face the facts their endeavors had failed was even harder.
She had been doing this for over ten years. Being the first African American hired by one of the largest reality companies in Michigan, Gabrielle had made it her goal to never let personal relationships interfere with her job.
It was only once in her life she had broken this rule. Five years ago, her fiancé had the nerve to use her emotions and weaknesses, which almost costs her the job.
Her cell phone rung and she looked at the screen not recognizing the number. Hesitantly, she answered the phone. "Gab."
"Ms Carmen? This is Mother Perkins at the church. I have some bad news."
Gabrielle held her breath as she listened to the older woman tell her the church had caught on fire and the damage was too severe to even hold weekly services at the facility.
"We're moving everything we can salvage to our space across the street, but right now we don't have the space for the meetings anymore."
Gabrielle was quiet because she didn't know how to take this news. The mother knew to call her personally due to her issues with privacy before letting the other group members know. Her anonymity was important and the large donation Gabrielle had made to the church to make sure her identity was never known, made the phone call even more important.
"They've moved to the church down the street, but I couldn't be sure of our arrangement," Mother Perkins said in confidence. "But I have another group I can assure you'll be accepted. It's at a partner's church but it's a general group that just has to do with addiction."
Gripping the pen she had been holding before the phone call, she could almost feel it about the break in her palm. Relaxing her fingers, she forced her whole body to follow suit. Masking her feelings had been a challenge, but this last year had been the hardest.
"Thank you, Mother Perkins," she said gratefully. "But I can make other arrangements."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Gabrielle. You've been doing well. This is a good group. You shouldn't change what you've been doing and they meet on the night you usually meet," The mother insisted. "Please take the information. If You don't like them, call me and we'll look for you another."
She didn't want to argue and took the information. "I appreciate your attention to this matter."
"We'll get through this together, just like we've always done," the older woman assured her.
Hanging up the phone, Gabrielle exhaled and leaned back in the chair. Right now, not even her herbal tea was making her feel better about this news.
Her assistant, Khaliph, came into the office and placed the third eviction on her desk, but not in front of her, yet the next document he purposely put in front of Gabrielle to make sure she saw what was on the paper.
"Are you sure these were signed today?"
Many people thought because Khaliph was always dressed impeccable and was older than her, he had gay tendencies, but there wasn't a homosexual bone in the man's body. At six feet, clean cut, he was a handsome black man with a bright smile and a taunt lean body. A little over forty, he epitomized the saying "black don't crack" because most people assumed he was in his early thirties.
"Yes," her assistant assured her. "And Thomas Mitchell wants to see you for lunch. I schedule the bailiff to come around at ten to give you enough time to finish off the eviction and get downtown by noon. He wants to eat right around the corner from the building."
"Are you sure-"
Her assistant smiled and leaned over the desk. "Yes, you're getting it."
Gabrielle picked up the document and smiled. Two years she had been waiting for this opportunity and if this document read correctly, she could be inline to manage one of her companies biggest real estate investment.
"I think today, I'm going to change into my red outfit," she said seductively biting the end of her pen.
"I've already picked it up from the cleaners and it's hung in your private bathroom," the assistant said reading her thoughts. "You have thirty minutes to change and meet me over at the Parker Building in enough time to supervise the eviction and then get over to where Thomas Mitchell will be waiting for you."
Quickly getting up, she went into her bathroom, pulled back her hair and changed into her "power suit." At five foot three, Gabrielle was a force to be reckoning with. At a size twelve, she filled out in all the right places; voluptuous hips, apple bottom and thirty four D cups filled out nicely over a honey brown package, oval face, with kissable lips and a slightly large nose that clearly fit perfectly under her tear drop shaped hazel brown eyes with natural long lashes. Liking the pony tail she'd drew her hair in, she decided to keep her dark brown hair with auburn highlights just as it was, because she knew she didn't want to over do herself.
The red power suit and the six inch black heels were enough to make sure people knew wherever she went, she meant business.
When she came out of the bathroom, she saw her assistant had placed another telephone message on her desk. Looking down at the name on top, she huffed in annoyance as she read, Brian Richards.
A vicious curse racked her brain as she bawled up the paper and tossed it in the garbage before grabbing her case and phone to make it out to the first eviction for the day on time. The valet had her black just off the showroom floor BMW waiting for her and after tipping the valet, putting on her sunglasses, and putting her car in drive, she headed across town ready to be the bad person for the day.
Gabrielle really didn't mind her job. Her father had owned property and she was familiar with watching him put out tenants, but seeing families on the street and watching their belongings get picked through, she didn't want to be that way. Just before the market went down, her father had sold the majority of all his properties to the company Gabrielle worked for and retired to Arizona with his new young wife and their three children.
Gabrielle managed the two apartments he left her and split the income with him, but she usually only moved in reliable tenants and students where she had to deal with them very little.
Yet, she had no problems with evicting businesses and she found her niche because banks and real estate companies did have that problem. Lots f problems and her management division was becoming an awesome force.
Secretly, she was planning to move away from corporate and open up her own company, but she knew she couldn't accomplish that until she really proved she was ready for the big time. Getting that building would be her big time and she knew no bank would refuse the loan she wanted to start her own business.
