The Finesser

By Patrice Shavone Brown

Jody’s a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s going to get the towing company he wants, no matter who he has to con to get it. Too bad he never saw Passion coming. Because Passion isn’t what she seems. She’s not the easy mark he thought she was. And she’s not going to let him rip her off and walk away. Jody’s not about to change his ways... but he might not have a choice. Passion isn’t your average big beautiful woman. She has a plan, a diabolical plan to not take Jody’s conning sitting down. Because Jody’s not the con man here; Passion’s the mastermind. With a single spell she can strip him of everything. And she just might if he can’t step up his game and pay what he owes her. The best way to force him to pay her back? Make him marry her; then he can’t just disappear into the wind. Jody’s going to marry her. Even if she has to take out a million dollar life insurance policy to lure him in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Patrice Shavone Brown
• Release date: Jul 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781732881839

Patrice Shavone Brown

Hello, my name is Patrice Shavone Brown and helping people is at the heart of everything that I do. I have spent the last two decades serving my community as a Mental Health Counselor. I have also authored three books. Needless to say, I find nothing more rewarding than empowering others and assisting in people’s healing through the power of words.I embarked upon my journey at the age of 18. Pursuing a degree in registered nursing didn’t wind up working out initially, so I opted for Human Services Technology two years later. Inspired by poets, teachers, my mother, grandmother and aunts along the way, I discovered my true purpose in this life: to make the world a better place as a Mental Health Counselor and Writer.My vision with my brands is to give a voice to the ones who may feel voiceless and raise awareness to the inherent beauty within us and all around us. Moreover, I consistently strive to be a catalyst for others who encourages them to fully believe in themselves, all while teaching them valuable life lessons.Currently, I hold an MA, BA, and AAS. I’m also an Anger Management Specialist and Creative Writing Expert.During my freetime, I enjoy singing and watching movies. I’m also an avid music lover whose sights are set on being on TV someday.

Book preview

–and my next shipment is due for around this time next week. If this goes down good, I’ll be sure to get you a few really expensive luxury scarfs while I’m in Dubai–

I wish you’d get yoself some personality with that shipment, Passion thought to herself. It took all her self-control not to giggle out loud at the mental image this conjured up.

She had promised to give this one a chance…well, more of a chance than usual anyway. It wasn’t as if she was getting any younger.

Passion looked over the man’s well-cut suit and $100 haircut and sighed. For all his noise, the man seemed not to actually know what was up. A friend of Alicia’s (one of the first and most loyal girlfriends Passion had made in New Orleans), Lawrence was one of the most eligible businessmen in importation in this side of the Mississippi.

It was also fairly certain that he had a grasp of what women wanted (cashmere scarfs, it would appear), and went on like he already had Passion round his little finger: anyone with a brain could have told him that was impossible.

Deciding to tune in to the monologue, Passion tried to shake off the growing urge to leave.

–that bronze tint on your dress reminds me of my last time in Paris a few years ago–

So, whadyu you fancy in bed? Passion cut in; figuring if she was going to get her time wasted, she might as well have some fun with it.

Wh–what? In b–bed??

Yeah, you know, while you were stirring the pot? Laying on that wood? Creaking the floors? Making the beast with two backs? Whatever the kids are callin’ it these days.

Passion stared straight into Lawrence’s eyes as he sat faltering over her brazenness.

Soon getting bored of having him on his toes, Passion allowed the conversation to slip back to safer topics and let her mind wander.

When she was younger, Passion had thought she would be settled down by her late twenties. She would brush her little sister, Neveah’s hair, and imagine one day braiding to her daughter’s curls; a husband and son out on an errand somewhere.

But, then again, her younger self would never have believed she’d have gotten this far, either. The lavish VIP room of the Overhead Bistro, with its purple velvet plush on wrought iron furniture and constant squeak of designer shoes, was a regular hangout spot of hers.

In her late 30’s with a reputation in town to uphold, Passion was not about to be doing any blind date nonsense out of her comfort zone and she told her suitors as much.

The owner of PassioNate Auto Movers, her very own tow and trucking company, which was now the fourth largest in the city; Passion was quite the catch herself. Sure, she may not have been on the summers in Paris and luxury scarf level yet, but she was comfortable and always edging towards the top.

A loud argument brewing outside jolted her from her reverie in a way her date’s blabbering was never going to.

Passion spied a ragged looking little boy screaming as a huge man in overalls squared up to hit another guy in the guts.

Unwittingly, she found herself leaving the table to go and peer out the darkened glass; Mr. Importer and whatever flavor of mediocre sex he had planned for the night could wait.

The second man, behind whom the child now hid, was now facing the bistro so Passion could get a good look at him — and she did get a good look at him.

The man was simply handsome, though, in a messy kind of way. He had a lean, muscular build (she could see enough of it since the man’s old basketball jersey had been slacked by his opponent), a choppy low afro, and striking light brown eyes.

As she watched the man try and smooth-talk his way out of whatever trouble he was in, she already felt herself getting involved; had her cards not, after all, predicted an unexpected change?

†

He was going to get his face knocked in.

It was becoming fairly clear to him that Mr. Gio wasn’t listening to the words he was saying anymore. Jody started to prepare himself for impact.

Damn, that hand was fleshy too!

It was all down to a bit of miscalculation, really. The husband of yet another of his honeys had come by the flat drumming up trouble, scattering the compound.

The married ones with dough always had crazy husbands, and the unmarried ones were always dragging you to cousin’s weddings, breathing down your neck for commitment.

Jody had a record and a rep: His record began with a première stint in juvie at 17 for possession of stolen goods, and certainly didn’t end there. His rep? A badge like ‘town drug dealer’ doesn’t ditch you quickly, no matter how many times you claimed to be clean.

A guy like Jody was the last kind of tenant any landlord wanted, not excluding Walter Giovanni. The only way he’d been able to get the space at all was by getting Richie to make baby-faces at the man, and agreeing to pay some ridiculous increment called a caution fee (this annoyed Jody immensely. What was this? California?).

Basically, he was on his 200th strike, and the man didn’t want his business any longer. The final straw had been his daughter reporting Jody for flirting with... Jody found this ridiculous too. Sure, he’d cat-called at her a time or two and made a few lewd gestures; but, the girl was 19, and it wasn’t like he’d ever touched.

He couldn’t afford to get kicked out. Jody had put his last dime into the rent three months ago and a few food items. The con he’d been banking on with a buddy had fallen through, and aside from his old Camaro, there wasn’t a thing else he had going for him in life.

All this piling up in his mind and the need to get out of the scene being created, Jody knew to act quickly.

The next thirty minutes passed in a blur: from the first bout of tears to a well-rehearsed sob story about being a poor single father, from appealing to the expanding crowd to beg the landlord on his behalf, to insisting he had a shift to get to soon. The wealthy woman who had eventually come out of the fancy pub and pacified the man (even slipping him a few bucks) was unprecedented, but just as well.

Before he knew it, the lady had taken them to a small fast food joint, and Richie sat in pay-per-ride toy car eating more chicken nuggets than he had possibly had in an entire year before.

Jody had heard of dumb luck, but, still had trouble figuring out just what magic he had worked to have this gorgeous, curvy female, who was clearly made look his way.

†

She was still trying to figure out just what form of magic he had worked to have her doing all this.

Nuh uh, this brother must have some force.

She looked the man over, head to toe, looking for any signs of Hoodoo. No smell of roots, no colored cloth/threads, and no amulets. Passion discreetly tucked her own crystal into the neckline of her low-cut date dress.

9:16, the tacky wall clock reported almost judgingly. Well, she didn’t have anyplace she needed to be, and Neveah’d no doubt be dancing for joy at the freedom; so, what the hell.

It had been so long she had been sexually attracted to a guy. Would it be terrible to see where this went?

So, you don’t sound like you from the Big Easy, beautiful.

Passion was glad when the stream of ‘thank you’s’ had finally quit and given way to introductions. Anybody could be grateful, but this man seemed to have a bit of a flair for the dramatic.

Oh, I’m not. I’m from the South. Have you ever been to NC?

Not ever. A real Southern belle, huh? Well, I heard y’all was gracious, but I never knew till just now how graaand y’all could be, he said, ogling her wide hips.

Passion knew the flirting was low, but she couldn’t help that his glances sent chills through her.

Mmm hmm. And what about you? Born and bred?

Well, my pops was a New Yorker, but yeah, I’ve lived here long as I can remember.

Ah, I see. So…what do you do, Jody?

Her seatmate took held his breath and shifted around.

Oh, lawd. Not another drifter. Have I been conjurin’ upside down??

Clearing his throat, the man seemed to recover his swagger after a minute.

"Well, you see ma’am, I’m a bit down on my luck lately. I had a tow trucking business, but uh, I had some complications happen, and now, I’m something of a mechanic. But, I got