I loved catching up with these two and I think you will too 🥹. I’m genuinely enjoying this “where are they now?” trip through the LIC series!
If you have yet to meet Bryant and Zoe, meet them in their story Greed – book three in the Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series.
For now, enjoy!
Bryant & Zoe
…. Bryant stood in the middle of the car dealership, his brown eyes scanning the tops of cars in his line of sight. The vehicles’ hoods resembled a landscape of tiny hills, perfectly lined up like paralleled rows of dominoes.
He inhaled patience and attempted to exhale the tension rising between his eyes.
With a better sense of calm and resolve, Bryant stroked his beard’s wiry hairs, seesawing his head from one side to the other, mentally sizing up each vehicle, one row at a time. His bodyguards stood feet away, eyes bouncing from Bryant to the salespeople, gathering in a huddle not far away.
While the salesmen and saleswomen quietly fussed in a heated debate amongst themselves over who would be the lucky one to approach the multi-billionaire who had just walked through their door that afternoon, Bryant was trying his hardest to calm his bias. At least for the moment. Because he was at the car dealership for a reason.
And for a good reason, he hoped.
He’d only arrived a few minutes ago, and he was already ready to leave. But he couldn’t leave. Not without making a purchase. And not after last night.
“Good morning… I mean, afternoon,” the saleswoman stuttered, tripping over her words. She took quick steps towards him, tripping over her own two feet, too. “Sir, Mr. Bryant, sir.” She waved her tiny hand in the air, pressing her other hand to her chest to gather her next words. “I’m sorry for the wait, Mr. Greene. Welcome.”
Bryant forced a smile as he turned to face her.
Her lips were quivering in her smile and he could’ve sworn he saw her heart beating through her white dress shirt like one of those 90s cartoon characters.
“Good day,” he greeted with a nod. His eyes lowered to her name tag. “Justine.”
“Yes, mmm-hmm.” She nodded, her shoulder-length black strands moving aside her head. “That’s me. And what a pleasant surprise to see you here.”
He sighed, his eyes moving about the space again, choosing to scan the sedan closest to him. “I’m not here for me.”
What he wanted to say was he would never be at that dealership if it wasn’t for someone else.
But not just anyone else.
“I’m looking for a car that says I’m sorry.”
Justine wrinkled her brows. “I’m sorry?”
“Yes, exactly.” He cleared his throat. “The person I want to buy the car for,” he said, gesturing with his hands. “She likes your brand of vehicle. Respectfully, this brand isn’t my preferred brand because of the way your cars perform on the road, but really, that’s neither here nor there.”
She blinked a few times in response. “Oh-kay…?”
“But she, loves this brand of cars and so I would like to get her two or three and I’m looking for maybe a newer model that has the energy of I’m sorry.”
Justine’s wrinkled brows slowly unwrinkled as they rose. Her eyes focused beyond Bryant. “Mrs. Greene.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “It is for Mrs. Greene.” He chuckled. “How’d you know?”
“No.” Justine shook her head, smiling wider while pointing behind him. “Mrs. Greene. She’s here. Behind you. She just walked in.”
His eyes grew. “Wh-what?”
“Bryant?” he heard over his shoulder, the familiar voice sounding like it was drawing near.
He squeezed his eyes closed before turning to the voice.
He first spotted his wife’s perfectly rolled locs that were gathered to form a very high bun at the crown of her head before his eyes traveled to meet hers.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“What are you…?” Zoe sighed, stopping herself from continuing when her eyes focused on the woman behind her husband. “Hi.”
“Mrs. Greene,” Justine exhaled, then pressed her hand to her chest. “Hi, how are you?”
“Call me Zoe, please.” She smiled at Justine before darting her eyes up to Bryant. “And I’m confused is what I am.” She flicked Bryant against the lapel of his wool coat. “An ‘I’m sorry car’, Bryant? Really?”
He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out.
These last few weeks have been difficult. It seemed like he could never find the right words to say that didn’t piss his wife off.
“I have been trying to get an appointment at your beauty lounge for forever,” Justine commented.
Bryant and Zoe focused on Justine.
“Oh, God,” Justine slapped her forehead. “I’m sorry. That was so unprofessional, but I have been and I’ve been dying to book a day at your beauty lounge. Because I need it badly. They are stressing me out here.” Justine cringed. “And that was also unprofessional. I’m sorry. I’m new. I just… I won the coin toss we did over there to see who could approach.”
“Uh-huh,” Bryant mumbled.
In any other scenario, her unprofessionalism would have bothered Bryant, but that day he was relieved to escape his wife’s upset eyes. He’s been trying to penetrate the veneer of misunderstandings he and Zoe have been having lately to no success.
This man closes multi-million dollar deals every other week but couldn’t understand for the life of him why his wife was always so moody as of late.
“Please.” Zoe raised a hand. “Do not apologize. I’ve heard enough sorries this week to last a lifetime. I swear.”
Zoe peered at Bryant from the side of her eyes, and he swallowed hard.
“Here.” Zoe slid her hand into her back jean pocket and pulled out a small card. “Call this number in one hour and schedule your appointment. I’ll let the spa’s manager know to expect your call. Your visit will be on the house.”
Justine’s face lit up the moment she accepted the card. “Really?! Oh my God! Thank you so much.”
“No problem.” Zoe winked. “Can you give my husband and I a moment?”
“Absolutely.” Justine took a few steps back. “Take your time.”
“Oh,” Zoe said, turning to face Bryant. “I will.”
“How’d you know I was here?”
“Chelsea told me,” Zoe answered, folding her arms over her chest.
“That damn Chelsea.” He growled. “I’m thinking she works for you instead of me now.”
“What are you doing, Bryant?”
Trying to fix things after making a joke. What he thought was an innocent joke.
Said he sees she’s putting on a little love weight and instead of laughing at his little joke, Zoe narrowed her eyes and gave him the silent treatment after. A silent treatment that has lasted from the night before and until that moment she showed up at the dealership.
And from last night and until that moment, he believed he should have kept his joke to himself.
“I’m trying to fix things between us.” He folded his arms too and leaned against the car behind him. “You’re upset with me. You’re upset with me like every day as of late.”
Zoe’s features softened.
“Romance isn’t my strong suit.” He chuckled nervously. “Money, I know, like the back of my hand. I know buying things better than deciphering the code of what is wrong with my wife without her telling me what is wrong. Buying things I can do. Reading thoughts?” He seesawed his head from left to right. “I obviously need to hire an expert to teach me how to do that.”
Zoe smiled next.
“There it is.” He whispered, smiling back as he pushed himself off the parked car. “The one thing I’ve been trying to get from you for days now. What did I just do so I can replicate it to get the same result again?”
Zoe giggled, playfully tapping him on his chest.
“I’m serious, Zoe.”
“And I’m pregnant.”
His eyes gradually bulged out of their sockets, and his jaw slowly hinged open. “I’m sorry?”
She held up a finger. “Please. No more sorries.”
He smiled. “You’re… what?”
She grunted, dropping her head back briefly. “You did nothing wrong. I’ve been trying to figure out a cute way to tell you I’m pregnant. Obsessed so much over it I stressed myself out and gave myself analysis paralysis and when you made the joke, it awakened an insecurity I didn’t realize was there. Because I want to be perfect for you and remain the woman you fell in love with. And when you made the joke, I got worried that you didn’t like the extra weight. And I don’t want those eyes of yours wandering and looking a little too long at the plenty of other options you have out here because… I’ve been there and dealt with that with you know who.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “And now I’m rambling like homegirl over there was doing a moment ago.”
Bryant snorted a laugh.
Zoe sighed loudly. “I let myself forget that there were more important things to focus on, like the baby we’re having.”
“Oh my God,” he exhaled.
“I’m not upset with you.” She smirked. “I’m pregnant. And cranky. And according to you already gaining weight.”
“And I love every pound.” Bryant extended his arm and used his hand to take Zoe by the waist, bringing her close and into a warm embrace. “And I will love every new pound just as much, if not more, because I have eyes for you and only you and I’m not going anywhere, Mrs. Greene, so don’t be silly.”
Zoe let her weight go in his arms.
“Pregnant,” Bryant said, realization setting in, adding to the excitement building up in him. “A baby.”
“I know you’re busy getting everything together for Greene Gardens and all—”
“Shh,” he shushed, tightening his grip around her waist. “I’m never too busy for you. Definitely not for this.” Bryant pressed a hand to her soft stomach.
A zing of enthusiasm rushed through him and he released it as a heart-melting smile that ached the apples of his cheeks in the best way.
“We…” He shook his head, trying to calm himself. “We must set up a trust for them. I need to add them to my Will at once—”
“Slow down there, Mr. Greene.” Zoe chuckled, the dealership’s overhead lights lending a sparkle to her eyes. “We have plenty of time to get all that in order.”
“You need a new car,” he said, ignoring her advice to calm his racing thoughts. “And not by this brand or any brand offering economy cars. You need something more… umm, more, uhhh…” He shrugged. “Just more, Zoe. A lot more.”
Zoe tilted her head to one side. “Bryant.”
“No,” he said, with more bass than usual. “You’ll be driving around my heir and this brand makes shit for cars.”
“Aht!” Zoe hollered. “No, you did not just say that out loud.”
“I’m sorry, beautiful, they do.” He took her hand. “A McAlister. We’ll get a four-seater.”
She tucked her lips into her mouth to keep from laughing. “The car brand of your car I crashed into?!”
He winked. “But way better. I’ll have one ordered once we return to the estate. Custom made. In whatever color you want. In fact, we’ll get two of them.”
“Bryant, that’s too expens—”
Bryant pulled Zoe to him in one tug and she gently crashed into his broad chest.
“You have made me the happiest man on this planet for the second time in my life.” He grinned before leaning forward to peck her lips twice. On them he told her, “You will have only the best if I have anything to do with it.”
Her eyes water. “Aww, baby.”
“We should eat.” He lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. “What would you like? Pickles and ice cream?”
“Boy, what?!” Zoe joked as she trailed behind him. “You know that’s nasty, right?”
“I heard it’s actually good.”
She laughed. “No thank you.”
“How about those burgers you love?” he continued, as one of his bodyguards pushed opened the door of the dealership for Bryant and Zoe to walk through. “The ones with the fried frigitello peppers and the heirloom tomatoes? I’ll rent out the restaurant for the afternoon.”
“And so it begins,” Zoe mumbled, smiling up at his bodyguard. The bodyguard chuckled making her giggle as her husband continued to rattle off just a few of her favorite things he planned to get her that afternoon….
Yolanda Lugo-Montalvo
Wow That glimpse of the continuing story of the Greens is outstanding. Love the characters in this story. Amazing what can happen between two people with very different outlooks on life and what’s really important.
bkmosley
Thank you!! ❤️❤️. And yesss, I agree! Their differences offers the perfect balance for them both 🥰
Asia Donn’ve
Thank you for the update! I love Bryant and Zoe together!
bkmosley
You’re welcome!! I really do too 🥰