The Best Man

Across town, things were definitely on fire.

" I should kill you. Man, what's wrong with you?" Troy was livid, he couldn't believe Kevin would do something like this to him, and here he was thinking he was finally being acknowledged for his work. Instead, his name and career were at risk of being slandered over a lie.

Kevin had finally come clean after he realized what a mess he had made, now he couldn't do anything but stand there looking stupid. "I know man, I know, I'm sorry T. Look she has no evidence so technically she can't print anything .."

He had better hope this woman didn't run this bogus ass story questioning his manhood or he would sue their company for everything they had and beat Kevin's ass immediately after for causing the chaos.

"You do realize if they slander my name they slander the company's name right? Which means you get dragged too. "

Troy asked wondering how Kevin made it this far using half of his brain cells.

Kevin could only scratch his head, he actually hadn't thought about that part because he didn't think a simple joke would get taken this far and he was confident that the story couldn't run without a reliable source. I mean he couldn't be the only source they needed right?

"T, It was supposed to be a joke man. I didn't want things to go this far. " Kevin threw his hands in the air exasperated at the drama he created " I walked in about to come clean about it all, but there she was, this fine ass woman, who didn't even give me the time of day once she realized you weren't coming. " He continued to rant "You know me I don't know when to shut the fuck up, and she challenged me at every corner... I mean Troy she could be a lawyer man." Kev looked at Troy wanting him to understand the presence of the woman he encountered " She had this no-bullshit persona, and my pride got in the way. I couldn't let her win.."

Kev was more confused with himself now than Troy probably ever could be. He didn't understand how he let some woman trance him into throwing his boy under the bus. I mean granted it wasn't her idea, but she didn't have to dismiss him like that.

Troy looked at Kevin like he had to be the dumbest nigga on the planet. He did all of this as a joke, Troy could've let a joke ride if Kev nipped it in the bud once he had the chance, but instead he ran with it, and now Troy's entire reputation was at stake. All of this because Kevin no matter how intellectual he had become was still childish as hell. Here he was blaming a woman that was only doing her job, a distasteful one in Troy's opinion, and he couldn't even man up to his own doings.

"Man get out." Troy set behind his desk biting his jaw sliding paper forcefully over on his desk.

Kevin looked up from his inner thoughts and started to say something but after seeing the expression on Troy's face thought better of it and closed his mouth.

Before closing the door he heard Troy throw a demand of handing him back over the Lopez case. Kevin didn't even argue that he had done most of the work, per usual he complied with Troy and kept it moving. He and Troy were boys and both had a share in the company, but Troy owned a bigger portion being that he had his parents money behind him straight out of college on top of what he saved on his own when they decided to invest in their own firm. Kevin wasn't blessed to have a supportive family behind him, he had a younger sister he grew up practically raising because their parents didn't think it was important to raise either one of them. Kevin had to work harder, but he respected Troy like a brother, besides his sister Troy and his family was the only thing he had. Troy had a spoiled ass attitude and didn't even realize it half the time, but they were boys so Kevin let shit slide the majority of the time. Mostly because he had been the cause of getting them into trouble growing up and Troy never turned his back on him, he always had his follow up, always looked out. Kevin knew he had to fix this.

Hours later Eve was thinking of the best way to castrate someone without going to prison. "What do you mean the story is false?" She got out through clenched teeth not even giving Mr. Riley a chance to reply she continued over talking him, "Do you think that my job is a joke?"

Kevin thought it was best not to tell her that it was a joke, he didn't want to further piss her off and have her run with the story anyway.

"Look Ms.Jameson I am truly sorry for the inconvenience, but you can't print that story without a reliable source," Kevin stated.

"You Were my reliable source!" Eve practically yelled through the phone, she was glad for having her own office because the look on her face right now and this conversation would definitely stir the pot at the office. If her coworkers found out the big lead she had been bragging about was a big flop she'd never hear the end of it. If Tracy found out, She'd be ruined.

Kevin sighed, he felt guilty about the drama he had created, maybe he should be working for that damn magazine.

"I'm sorry Evette, I really am." He used her first name which only angered Eve more. They were not friends. Who the hell did this man think he was?

"I could run the story anyway. I mean half of what we print isn't all true, we dress it up of course. I don't need you as a source, Mr. Riley." Eve was confident, her brain was working a mile a minute trying to figure it all out.

Kev shook his head, she had a point but he knew she wasn't thinking quite clearly. "Ms.Jameson, we both know you may not need me as a source, but you do need a source, which you don't have." He paused for good measure" Besides that point if you were to run the story despite my cooperation I will sue you and TIO for everything you've got."

Kevin challenged, his leg was crossed over the other as he leaned back in his office chair, his focus was directly on the phone sitting on his desk.

Eve was pissed now, she didn't find this story it found her, how dare he threatens her like that. "Mr.Riley let's not forget our interview was recorded, the restaurant we met at is a witness to our meeting being that my name is down for a reservation and the waiter saw us together, Mr. Alexander is also penciled in as a meeting. You can try me if you want to but I have receipts. You are still a reliable source Kevin whether you are a willing one or not."

Kevin took a minute to process this, Eve took his silence as her having leverage.

"Sue me? I'll Sue you for false information!" She yelled. This negroe had some nerve. She straightened her dress and flipped her hair, feeling like she was regaining control.

Kevin's boisterous laughter filled the phone causing Eve to look at it like he had actually come through it. "What's so funny?"

Kevin cleared his throat, "You can't sue for false information, that's not a thing. You're not a cop, you're a journalist." Eve was about to interject but was halted by Kevin's next question, "Ms.Jameson when you began our interview, did you ask my permission before recording me?"

Shit. Eve thought. She began to speak but was cut off again "Who's to say we weren't having a lovely meal and you took advantage of the information I gave you by recording me and invading my privacy."

Kevin said sweetly angering Eve more so.

"But that's a lie," Eve said tightly.

"So is the story you are trying to run." Kevin shot back.

Eve rubbed her temples, this man was impossible. She should've known interviewing a lawyer was a bad idea. She didn't ask for any of this.

"Fine, Riley...FINE!" she hangs up the phone in his face.

Eve sat back defeated. This was bad. She didn't know what she could possibly do to turn this around. On her desk sat a picture of Gramps, she picked it up as if it had all the answers. Nothing came to mind. Flipping through her phone she thought of who she could call, and there was no one. No one she could count on, no one she could vent to. Eve was so frustrated that her eyes began to burn, she felt like crying, she was vulnerable, for the first time in a long time she had lost control. A chime went off on her Tablet with a new email. Eve swiped in seeing an email from her Boss Tracy saying how excited she was to proofread Eve's new piece. Sighing Eve closed the app, brainstorming. Whenever she had writer's block the key was to go back to the beginning, to read through, and suddenly an idea would spark.

She knew what she had to do.

It probably wouldn't make a difference, but there was only one thing left to do, Go to the man of the topic. It was time to meet Troy Alexander.