As always, Graham had an agenda. He always stuck to them and was determined on this one. He was weirdly nervous walking through the halls of Boston West High School to the auditorium. But he'd made up his mind and would not be refused. After what had happened early this morning he had to decide whether it was really worth all the effort to get to know Ama. He'd thought not, but then remembered that they would be spending the next months together and curiosity would eventually kill him one way or another.
He walked through the slowly filling room, ignoring the sneaky eyes and whispers from some of the teenagers, and made his way back stage.
"Excuse me?" He asked into the air, hoping someone was close enough to hear him.
"Oh Mr. Banks, how can I help you?" An over bubbly blond teacher asked.
"Do you know where Miss. Jenkins is?" He saw her smile turn from excited to fake in a flash.
"She's somewhere in the curtains talking the someone." She answered, waving her hand in no particular direction.
Helpful. Graham thought, making his way to the stage.
And there she stood, with a clip board and phone at her shoulder. She wore a tan pants-suit, and had tamed her curls into a neat bun on top of her head, a few wisps let loose around her face. She was biting her lip in concentration, he'd noticed she had a habit of doing that. On the coach trip, she'd fallen asleep like that and it had taken everything in Graham not to pluck her lip from her mouth and take it in his.
She looked up seeing him and ended her call, pushing her tinted glasses back up her nose.
"Whatever you're going to ask me is not important." She said before he could open his mouth.
"What makes you think I was going to ask anything?" Graham smirked. Ama just rolled her eyes and pushed the clip board into his hands.
"Listen, I'm going to lead this presentation, like we agreed. I need you to remember to be blunt but sensitive with these kids. Especially since their all being searched before being allowed to listen."
"WHAT!" Graham cried. "Why are you having them searched. These are kids Ama, what harm could they do to you."
"Oh please, Graham. Over 50% of those kids are in a gang of some sort, and the topics we're discussing today is meant to be a slap to wake them up from their prejudices. This is hardly to do with me!" She whisper yelled.
"It has everything to do with you Ama." Phoebe said as she walked past, causing Graham to raise a brow.
"You were saying?" He asked.
"Fine," Ama glared at him. "It's because some of these kids are in gangs and nobody wants them to recognise me! Are you happy?!"
Graham grabbed hold of her chin, bringing it close to his.
"I do not want this to repeat itself. You will tell your people to stop searching the kids here and at any other school we go to is that understood Ama?"
SMACK! Graham hissed as Ama sent a slap to his left cheek.
"Oh I understand. But 'my people' unfortunately don't. I couldn't stop them if I tried, so I suggest you reframe from touching me and go ask somebody else for what you're looking for." And with that she strutted onto the stage where the principle introduced her.
For the next two hours, Graham stood at the side-lines, watching as Ama paced the stage, telling the students about her work and what she aims to achieve. Answering questions on how she can do all this at such a young age, why she cared about things like discrimination, racism, and abuse of human rights if she had everything she could want to squander?
Graham saw how passionate she was. She wanted these kids to understand, to make their own judgements on the world, rather than take the word of their far gone parents.
"Have you had any experiences with all this your talking about? Y'know this whole discrimination thing and all?" A kid asked at the front.
Graham watched carefully as Ama's expression dropped slightly. Something flashed across her face and her voice faltered.
"I..I.... I know, of people who have suffered such things. Weather I've suffered or not is not important." She answered.
If this kid is smart, he wouldn't take that answer. Graham thought.
"But.." the boy continued. "Surely it does. You're focusing on resolving this problem for everyone, and everyone should include you too right?"
Smart kid.
"I.. Um.." But Ama didn't get to answer as Phoebe ran onstage and dragged a slack jawed Ama backstage.
"What's up with her today?" Graham mumbled to himself.
"She only has 2 days of her menses left. She's always a right bitch at this point with all those mood swings." Bulldog said from behind him.
"I'm sure I did not need to know that, nor do I think that's the reason why."
"If you're basically living with her for the next few months, you need to know as much about her and she about you, but that doesn't mean everything." Bulldog grumbled, following the ladies as they stomped on past.
"No, something else was wrong." Graham said to himself, peeking through the curtain at the crowd of kids. "She's scared of something." Surveyed the crowd carefully but found nothing. "What could she be scared of...."
~~.~~.~~.~~
"But Maman!" Ama whined into her phone as her mother scolded her for staying in The Empire without notice.
"No, you listen to me carefully. I'll let you off this time because of this campaign, but I'm only letting you stay for three more months. That's it."
"But.."
"No."
"Who are you talking to Efi?" She heard her step-father say in the back ground.
"Ah, Marcus, tell your daughter that she's not staying in the Empire any longer than three more months. She doesn't seem to understand me."
"Maman!" Ama whined, as she heard the shuffling of the phone being transferred.
"Bonjour Cherie. Ca va?"
"Bonjour Papa, Pas de bien."
"What's wrong?"
"Maman won't let me stay, and the tour has already started."
"Well I say you can stay as long as you want."
"QUOI!" She heard her mother scream.
"Listen sweetheart...... I'll let you stay as long as you need..... But.... Come home before...... The... Inorgaration... Bye honey" He said fighting off Efi in the process.
"Aurevoir Papa." Ama said hanging up and plonking onto a couch.
"That went well." Bulldog mumbled.
"Oh shut up!"
Ama lay there for a while, not knowing what to do. It was bad enough that Richie wasn't keen on her staying. She didn't understand what they were so worried about. She basically had the Army and FBI following her every move and guarding her like the crown jewels. Why was everyone so afraid of them?
But then again, they were like mice, roaches, everywhere she turned. That boy that had asked her that question. He was one of them, he knew she knew it, and chose to patronise her. But she couldn't do anything about it, not in front of all those people.
"Bulldog who are you texting?" Ama said, hearing a deep chuckle from his direction.
"No one." He replied, smiling like a fool.
"Bulldog.." She walked over to him. "who are you texting?"
Ama snatched the phone out of his hands and shot to the other side of the room to avoid him.
"Ama.." He said in a warning tone. She simply smiled, flipping him off and unlocking the phone.
PING! The phone went off again showing the name Missy with a peach and water emoji.
"Nasty boy!" She gaged, throwing the phone back. "So she's the one that's been taking up your free time lately huh?"
"Well she's actually a really nice person. And she's black." He replied smugly.
"I'm aware of her race. And what's being black got to do with anything."
"She's everything a guy could want in a woman. Great body, she can cook, she's sassy and sexy, not to mention she's from the south so she's extra sweet too. What more could I ask for." Bulldog sighed, putting his hands behind his head.
"Someone who could take dick..." Ama grumbled.
Bulldog's face hardened. "That's not what you said when I was balls deep in your pussy."
"Psh oh please. You couldn't be balls deep shit, you stump dick moron."
"Hey don't diss his dick!" Phoebe called coming into the lounge of the hotel room. "You and I both know he has it packing."
"And where do you think your going dressed like that?" Ama asked, looking her friend up and down. She was dressed in fitted black dress with a plunging neckline and a slit a the bottom. Her blond hair was pleated in a single French braid, allowing her jewellery to compliment her ivory skin.
"Security stuff." she said simply, walking out the door.
~~.~~.~~.~~
There came a knock later that evening. Ama was lounging on the couch, sketching while Bulldog took a shower. Assuming it was room service, Ama rushed to get the door.
She was, however, met with quite a different sight.
"Ama." He nodded.
"Graham? What are you doing here?" He didn't answer, but slipped into the room still wearing his blue suit from earlier that day.
He surveyed the room, gazing through the floor to ceiling window. He noticed the designs left on the couch and scrutinized them with a hard expression. Ama stared at him, chewing her lip in confusion.
"Don't do that." He said.
"What?"
"Don't do that thing, with your lip." Graham looked up at her.
"What are you doing here Graham?" Ama snapped
He stood there for a while, staring her down. Ama could feel his gaze rake every part of her body, making her squirm as he came closer. He came to stand in front of her, towering at least a foot taller now that she wasn't wearing heels. Graham reached out and plucked her lip from her mouth before peppering her exposed neck with kisses.
"Why are you doing this Ama?" He asked between kisses.
"D-doing what?"
"This campaign." He replied, making small circles with his tongue.
"Because I want change."
"What sort of change?" He mumbled, kissing down to her cleavage.
She couldn't answer as he cupped a breast in his large hand and circled a nipple through the thin gauze of her shirt.
SMACK!! She sent a smack to his cheek.
"I said don't touch..." But she was silenced by Graham smashing his lips against hers.
He licked her lips for entrance to her mouth, but when denied, sent a smack to her butt causing her to gasp. He plunged in his tongue inside, dominating the kiss.
"I've been very nice with you Ama Jenkins." He said, boring his blue green eyes into her. "Let me tell you this..." He slowly removed her glasses.
"I, do not appreciate being disrespected, or upstaged, or made a fool of by any one, especially by women." She could feel his warm breath fanning across her closed eyes.
"If we are to work together, you are going to have to bend to a few... requests of mine. Starting with a date, Saturday, 8pm. Be ready..."
Ama's eyes shot open only to be greeted by her own reflection from the mirror opposite. She could see her hard nipples through the shirt.
"Why the fuck is he so damn sexy... And a complete asshole at the same time?" She mumbled to herself.
~~.~~.~~.~~
Hey. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
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Bo Xxx