Page 2 of Solomon’s Temple

I couldn’t help but chuckle at these two. It wasn’t enough that they were judgmental; they were intrusive too. If they only knew what I kept in one of my spare bedrooms, how many women I turned upside down and made gymnasts in said room, they would call on every name in the bible and try to douse me with holy water.

I dropped my toast on my plate and made sure to give them eye contact while I prepared to tell them about themselves, then respectfully tell them to get the hell out of my crib.

“I don’t bring anyone around because you two can’t seem to not analyze and pass judgment on anyone you think isn’t a saint. If you all remember correctly, I dated Arya Simpson for a week before you both made her feel like crap on the bottom of your shoe.

“From then on, I vowed to never bring anyone around y’all again unless I know they can handle y’all. Secondly, for my mother to insinuate that I like men is diabolical. Which further proves why I rarely come around or bring anyone else around y’all. I’m all man, Urina. Before I became celibate, your son indulged in lots of vaginas. Good, bad, decent, and great. And I enjoyed having sex. I enjoyed it so much that I knew if I didn’t stop, this penthouse would be full of half-naked broads catering to my deep, healthy, sexual appetite. So, I need you to never think some sh—mess like that about me again.”

I could tell I caught them off guard with my truth by the shocked looks on their faces. I didn’t care at this point. They were too nosy and made bad assumptions about me all the time, and the fact that my mother thought I was gay pissed me off.

“Sol, it’s not like that. I just want⁠—”

I held my palm up to stop my mother from speaking. “Respectfully, it’s not about what you want. I’m thirty-six, and this is my life. I’m going to live it how I see fit. Now, I have a meeting with my team in an hour before I begin my workday. Thanks for coming by, but I won’t be attending that dinner with y’all. Tell the Henrys I said what up.” I stood from the stool and walked over to the door and opened it for them.

I could tell my mother was in her feelings about my dismissal of them, but had she come in here with the sense God gave her, I wouldn’t be kicking her ass out.

She stepped on, and my pops stopped in front of me.

“You’re our only child, Solomon. While we may seem overbearing or intrusive, we only want what’s best for you. I apologize for us stopping by without calling and making you uncomfortable. We were just in the neighborhood and wanted to see you,” my father said.

I scoffed lightly.

Always trying to be the voice of reason.

“I never have a problem with y’all stopping by, but sometimes, it’s best to call because I’m not always in the mood for company.”

“Or in the mood for anything else for that matter,” my mom mumbled.

“Urina,” my dad called out in a warning tone. She waved him off. My pops’ eyes came back to me. “Come by and see us sometimes. And again, I apologize for the impromptu visit.”

“All good, Pops. I’ll come by this weekend since I’m off.”

“Okay. And the church is having a fundraiser this Friday at the Northwest Care Center. You’ll come by, yes?”

“I’ll let you know. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

He nodded, then stepped onto the elevator. I let the door close, shook my head, and went back inside to brush my teeth again. Once complete, I grabbed my keys, phone, gun, and hat, then left my penthouse to head to the meeting.

I stepped inside of ES headquarters and greeted Martell and Sylvester, who were in the lobby watching the cameras. It was imperative that I secured my building as well because it was smack dab in the hood. Too many crackheads frequented the area and broke into any business or home that wasn’t secured. I had too many high-tech things in here, so twenty-four-hour surveillance was needed.

“Mar, Syl. Grand rising.”

“Mr. Matthews. How has your morning been going?” Syl asked.

“Better since I’m here. I’ll see you fellas later.”

“Absolutely,” Mar replied as I kept my stride toward the elevators. I got on and took it up to the second floor where our conference room was located. As I stepped off, the huge room sat behind the large glass doors, and I saw that all my team members were in attendance. I walked inside and greeted everyone, then took my place at the head of the table, opening the portfolio I brought inside with me.

“Grand rising, everyone. First, I want to start the meeting off by addressing some issues that have been recurring over the past few weeks. The lack of focus some of you have been exuding has the potential to give my company a bad name, and you all know how I feel about that,” I voiced, eyes going around the room once before landing on Lawrence. He diverted his gaze downward, already knowing he was the motherf—nigga I was talking about.

I’m trying, Big Homie.

My eyes then went to Raphael, Collin, and Dominique.

“The four of you have been fu—messing up, and I’m really trying not to give y’all the boot because I know all of you are the best at what you do. But somewhere in the last few months, it's been reported that you all are chillin’ in your vehicles, going out to lunch before your lunch hour, and showing up late to events. That type of situation will not be tolerated. We provide protection for high-profile people. If anything happens to them on my clock, things around here are going to get real different for you niggas.

“This is my brand and company on the line, and I will not tolerate disrespect or laziness on my watch. If you niggas can’t do your jobs, please inform me now so I can replace you and find some people who take their jobs seriously.”

“We can do our jobs, Boss. There were just moments where some of the clients dismissed us or didn’t require our time at the moment,” Ralph spoke.