Black Pearl Prequel: Black Burlesque Series, #0

By Tiffany Patterson

What will it take to rebuild my self-esteem?

When I walked in on my boyfriend in bed with another woman, I couldn't believe my eyes. To make matters worse, his lack of remorse was like another slap to the face. Years of his verbal put-downs and hurtful comments about my weight all but thoroughly destroyed my self-confidence.

But finally, I was done.

The emotional pain and self-doubt weren't as easy to get rid of as he was, however. Luckily, I have a best friend like Mercedes for a shoulder to cry on. When she hands me tickets to six weeks of burlesque lessons, I all but shut her down. She doesn't give up, though, promising me that it'll be fun. After some prodding, I take her up on it.

And a whole new world opens to me.

Not only do I slowly start to regain the confidence that my ex stripped from me, but I begin to long for things that are way out of my league. Such as the CEO of the company I work for, Nikola Collins.

Increased self-esteem or not, I know there's no way a powerful man like Nikola would ever look twice at me.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tiffany Patterson
• Release date: Feb 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201993870

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Devyn Williams had just gotten back to her desk and prepared to retake her seat, from making copies, when the phone on her desk rang.

She immediately recognized the number on the phone’s ID as that of her boss’ cellphone.

Devyn, I need you to do me a favor, Andre said as soon as she answered.

Devyn silently groaned and gripped the phone in her hand a little tighter. Andre was already running late to a very important meeting with the CEO and other top executives of the finance company where Devyn worked.

The CEO also happened to be Andre’s older brother, Nikola Collins.

I have the files you need for the meeting already printed, on your desk, and ready to go, Devyn responded. She waited for a beat, hearing what sounded like cars honking and the low murmurs of passersby.

Andre was outside somewhere, walking. Devyn hoped he was walking back from his early morning breakfast meeting to their offices at Excel Financial Services Corp.

I could meet you at the entrance with the files so you won’t even have to stop at your office. You can head right up to Mr. Collins’ office. A squeak of desperation appeared in Devyn’s voice, but she cleared her throat, hoping Andre didn’t pick up on her eagerness to get him to the meeting.

No can do.

Devyn’s shoulders slumped at those three words.

This new client of ours is playing hardball. Andre sighed, and Devyn could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose like he often did when disturbed. They’re saying the numbers aren’t working for them.

That’s bogus. Devyn clamped her mouth shut, not having meant for that comment to escape.

Andre chuckled. You’re telling me. Anyway, I’m extending this meeting to rerun the numbers. Unfortunately, that means I’m not going to make it to my next meeting.

A knot twisted in Devyn’s belly as she anticipated his following statement.

I’m going to need you to attend the meeting for me.

Devyn squeezed her eyes tightly before blinking them open. She peered around the spacious office, noting the glass doors about fifty feet from her desk, and the black leather seats in the waiting area in front of her. Every morning, Devyn ensured the mounted television in the lobby was turned onto the business news channel, closed-captioning appearing at the bottom of the screen.

A few other employees walked past, from their office to another, but otherwise, the main lobby area was silent.

Are you still there?

Yes. Devyn shook her head, regaining her focus on the call. Are you sure it’s the best thing to skip this meeting? Devyn winced.

She hadn’t meant to make it sound like Andre was playing hooky or slacking off. He had a legitimate reason why he couldn’t attend the meeting with the company's heads.

Don’t be intimidated, Andre answered. I know my brother can look scary, but inside he’s a big ol’ teddy bear. He chuckled.

Devyn seriously doubted that. Nikola Collins was anything but a teddy bear. The man was stern, at distant, and ridiculously gorgeous.

Andre’s assurance did nothing to stop the tension rising in Devyn’s chest.

It has nothing to do with Ni— uh, Mr. Collins, Devyn replied. She felt odd referring to a man by his last name when speaking to his brother. Still, Nikola Collins preferred to keep it professional in all work areas, which meant calling him Mr. Collins instead of being on a first name basis, like she was with Andre.

Honestly, that suited Devyn. She rarely had any interactions with the man to begin with. And she preferred to keep it that way.

I’m not a hundred percent certain that I’m abreast enough on what the meeting is about to attend in your stead. That sounded like a perfectly reasonable explanation for Devyn to use.

In the back of her mind, she didn’t even know why she was stalling. This call would end with her attending that meeting.

Devyn, you helped me put together all of the reports, her boss reminded her. We spent hours checking over the numbers. You know the ins and outs almost as much as I do. Give yourself a little credit.

Devyn almost snorted. She didn’t deserve credit for doing her job. Andre was the king of numbers. As the CFO of the company, Andre had a better grasp of the company’s financials than anyone else in the world.

Devyn pushed out a heavy breath, finally accepting her reality. I can attend the meeting. She did her best to ignore the instability in her voice. "I’ll have a full report on everything that takes place in the

Reviews for Black Pearl Prequel

[RedHobo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good prequel. The characters are interesting. Looking forward to reading about their stories.