Ch. 2
DERRICK
I figured I had punished Ms. Bryant enough, deciding to pop in and check on her. What I did not expect was to hear the sound of her laughter or Jimmy’s for that matter.
Jimmy was the IT guy, a scrawny kid fresh out of college who looked like he would snap from lifting a pencil. I thought she’d find him annoying and pray for this nightmare to be over. I guessed wrong.
As I inched closer to my destination, I heard music, some pop song I was sure my younger sister would love. Hell, my former assistant Whitney would also like this sugary crap. Did Ms. Bryant like this too?
“Who is this now?” I heard her ask.
“This singer I found on sound cloud,” Jimmy replied.
“If you can call that singing,” her words conveyed my thoughts. “You know, we should get back to work.”
Ha! I knew it. She wasn’t as fond of him as I thought.
I knew this made me a petty child but I didn’t care. I didn't want her to like him or any other man for that matter.
Whoa, dial it back Derrick. I chided myself.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. Ms. Bryant was my assistant, a grown woman to be taken seriously, noy an object for me to covet or control. It was time I started acting like her boss and not her handler.
I rapped my knuckles softly against the door and immediately the music stopped. I heard scrambling but I didn't wait to enter. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Needless to say, I was not prepared for what I saw. Some part of my brain knew they weren’t doing it but this?
Ms. Bryant was mid-standing, collecting her shoes off the floor, trying to hide them behind her back. Jimmy was just standing there, as if nothing was wrong.
“Hey Mr. Holden,” Ms. Bryant broke the silence first.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the sight. The gobsmacked look on her face, her slim flats crinkled up in her hands, she was adorable.
I cleared my throat when she spoke at the same time.
“We were just–”
I held up my hand to stop her.
“No need to apologize Ms. Bryant,” I chortled. Damit, I let a little escape. “Why don’t you–”
“See ya!” Jimmy raced past her, bumping into her and rushing out the door before I could finish my sentence.
In a whirlwind of a second, my new assistant lost her balance and nearly toppled over.
I reached out my hands, catching her by the hips as she crashed into me.
I figured I had punished Ms. Bryant enough, deciding to pop in and check on her. What I did not expect was to hear the sound of her laughter or Jimmy’s for that matter.
Jimmy was the IT guy, a scrawny kid fresh out of college who looked like he would snap from lifting a pencil. I thought she’d find him annoying and pray for this nightmare to be over. I guessed wrong.
As I inched closer to my destination, I heard music, some pop song I was sure my younger sister would love. Hell, my former assistant Whitney would also like this sugary crap. Did Ms. Bryant like this too?
“Who is this now?” I heard her ask.
“This singer I found on sound cloud,” Jimmy replied.
“If you can call that singing,” her words conveyed my thoughts. “You know, we should get back to work.”
Time stood still as our eyes locked onto one another and I was hooked. I had never wanted anyone like this before. Sure, I had lusted after women, felt the blood rushing to my nether regions, but this feeling with Nadia was different. The blood was rushing in my ears and my heart was pounding a mile a minute.
Was I having a heart attack?
“Mr. Holden?” she woke me from my reverie. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” I shook my thoughts of her out of my head. “I’m fine.” I smiled nervously, looking down at her, then my gaze slipped to her feet for a short moment before darting my eyes back to her face.
Her eyes grew to the size of saucers before she shoved me back.
“Oh my god! Don’t look at my feet. Turn around!” she shouted as her hands gripped my shoulder, turning me around.
“Alright, alright,” I chuckled as I complied with her wishes.
“Oh you think this is funny?” She asked as I heard her flats hit the ground, one hand gripping my shoulder, so she could steady herself while slipping on her shoes.
“For what it’s worth–”
“Nah uh,” she cut me off. “I don’t want to hear it. Just let me leave with my dignity.” She rushed past me.
“Nadia,” I grabbed her arm.
She whirled around, our eyes locking again and I found myself lost again. I hadn’t thought it through when I reached for her, but now that I had her, I didn’t want to let go.
Not that I was kidnapping her. Oh my god, what was happening to me?
“Let’s just pretend this never happened,” she spoke quietly, slipping her arm from my grasp.
I nodded in agreement, letting her go.
Then she paused and whipped back around to face me.
“What about all the files? Would you like me to finish them later?” she asked.
“No, that won’t be necessary. I can have maintenance move everything,” I replied.
For a split second she said nothing but then her eyebrows knitted together as she opened her mouth to say something then prompt closed it.
The corners of my mouth ticked upward.
“Something on your mind Ms. Bryant?”
“No,” she said through gritted teeth. “Nothing at all.”
“Are you sure?” I closed the gap between us, peering over her.
“Positive,” she ground out. “I have to go. Don’t want to keep Lauren waiting.” She arched her eyebrow, slightly shaking her from side to side before turning on her heels and stalking off.
Oh Ms. Bryant is truly something. I thought to myself as I followed right behind her.
NADIA
“Girl, it was bad,” I said as the waiter sat our drinks down in front of us.
Faisa was the friend who found me and refused to let me leave her. She literally befriended me while I was sitting by myself in the cafe in college and told me point blank, “We’re going to be friends.”
And 12 years later, here we were sitting at a bar sipping on white wine spritzers after a long day catching each other up on life.
“It couldn’t have been that bad,” she tried to reassure me.
Faisa was a mother of three with a wonderful husband, Malcolm, so she knew how to calm me down, like I was one of her kids. And normally that would piss me off but I needed the soothing aloe of her reassurance.
“I wish it were, but he saw my feet girl. And I hadn’t had a chance to do my toes yet. Not only that, but I swear–” I leaned in closer so only she could hear me. “I swear he wanted to kiss me.”
“Get out of here,” Faisa cackled loudly, shoving my shoulder back.
“Faisa! Shush!” I looked around, making sure we weren’t drawing too much attention. I didn’t want to be the loud, Black women at the bar. I was already having a tough day. Getting kicked out of a bar would be the icing on the cake.
“Girl I’m sorry, but that was just too funny.” She calmed down a bit, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But seriously, I think you're full of it. Ain’t nobody looking at your feet and if they were, they’d say they cute. And your boss ain’t checking for you like that. You was just probably feeling nervous.”
“I’m telling you Faisa, I felt something. There was this–I don’t know, it was like time stood still. I can’t explain it. Something was there.”
Faisa looked me dead in the eye, setting her drink down. “Okay. Let me ask you this, did you want to kiss him?”
Gulp. Why’d she have to ask me that?
“No,” I murmured, pulling my drink to my lips.
“Nah uh.” She grabbed my drink from me and slammed it back on the counter.
“Faisa, be careful.” I gave the bartender an apologetic smile. He just shook his head and walked away, as though he’s seen it all before. That and the fact that we both too grown to be acting like this.
“What? Don’t worry about him. What you need to be worried about is this thing going on between you and your boss.”
“I thought you said ‘Your boss ain’t checking for you like that,’” I mirrored Faisa’s words back at her in a nasally voice with air quotes.
“I do not sound like that.”
“Oh yes you do,” I laughed. Then Faisa was laughing and we were just yucking it up at the bar.
I knew we were getting looks but I didn’t care. For the first time since this morning, I could finally breathe and not obsess over what happened. I knew coming out with Faisa tonight would make me feel better and it absolutely worked. Until . . .
“Girl, what’s wrong?” she asked.
I had stopped laughing, frozen stiff on my bar stool, wishing a black hole would open up and swallow me whole.
“Earth to Nadia.” She waved a hand in my face.
I grabbed it, pulling it down and ducking my head low, hoping he wouldn’t see me. “Oh my god. He’s here.”
“Who is? If you don’t get your head out of my bosom–”
“My boss!” I whisper shouted.
“Ooh where?” Faisa lifted off her bar stool a little, looking all around. “Ooh, I see.”
I didn’t need to follow Faisa’s gaze to know she was looking at Derrick Holden, fine ass CEO of Holden Enterprises, Inc. and the man currently staring at me unblinkingly from across the room.
Once again, time stood still and it was as though we two were in the room. At least we were until a slender, alabaster hand tugged on his arm and Mr. Holden looked away first.
“Who’s the bitch on his arm?” Faisa asked aloud.
My thoughts exactly.
“You know what, let’s just go.” I slid off my bar stool but low and behold my feet chose to malfunction and slipped out from underneath me and my ass was falling.
Or so I thought when I felt two strong arms grab me and hold me steady.
When I looked up, there was Mr. Holden’s hazel green eyes staring back at me.
How did he get over here so fast?
“Are you okay Ms. Bryant?” he asked.
I nodded yes, too afraid to speak.
“Hey girl, you alright?” Faisa was soothing circles on my back. I really needed that. She knew I was dying of embarrassment.
“Oh my god!” The skinny blonde I forgot my boss brought with him was here. “That was so scary. Are you okay?”
“Yeah sure. I’m fine. Faisa we should–”
“Right. We gotta go do that thing at that place,” she rambled.
I looked at her with the Real smooth Faisa. Real smooth.
“Are you sure?” My boss asked me, kind of blocking my escape, rubbing my fingers between his.
When did he grab my hands? And why does it feel so good and I don’t want to let go?
I literally shook the thoughts from my brain as my head moved back and forth.
“Yep, I’m sure.” Slipping my fingers from his and moving around him. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your date.”
“Eew gross,” My boss’s companion balked. “No way. Derrick’s my brother. And even if he weren’t, I’d still never date him.”
Well, that stopped me in my tracks.
“Your brother?”
It just got worse. Not only did I mistake his sister for his date, I was all jealous over it and I nearly fell flat on my ass. Now I really needed to leave before I embarrassed myself even further.
“Faisa, let’s–”
“Let me buy you a drink,” Mr. Holden cut me off. “Both of you,” he quickly added.
My face must have given it away that I was shocked at his offer but my stomach was pleased as butterflies fluttered all over. I felt giddy at the idea of wanting to spend more time with him, despite knowing this would be a bad idea.
Faisa looked at me as if asking You sure girl?
I stared back Yeah I’m sure.
Okay she cut her eyes, skeptical but willing to go along with it.
DERRICK
I couldn't believe I had asked her to stay for a drink. And what's worse, she agreed.
Well, that wasn't worse. I wanted her to stay, I was glad that she stayed. But now this put me in a precarious situation. I was her boss, I couldn't just flat out date my assistant. For starters, there would be so much paperwork with HR and I knew Lauren would chew me out if I even asked. Plus, it would look like I was using my position to pressure her into what I wanted and I didn't want to do that to her. I needed to get out of this and fast.
"I have to go to the bathroom," I announced like a child and just left without waiting for a reply.
Before I even made it into a stall, Savannah, my sister was texting me.
You okay?
No I was about to reply when your next text came like rapid fire.
You're acting weird. I mean you are weird, but this is too weird, even for you.
Thanks for the vote of confidence I thought to myself.
I rolled my eyes as I typed back my reply I'm fine. Just . . .
I let that sit there. What was this anyway? Nadia was just a woman and I was a man and we were getting a drink. A drink with my sister and her friend. This was completely innocent and I had nothing to worry about.
Hello? Earth to big brother Savannah interrupted my epiphany.
I'm coming I texted back quickly before she could send a poop joke.
Savannah was substantially younger than me, being that she was 21 to my 38 year old age. She was the by-product of an affair my father was having with his secretary but Savannah was born premature and nearly died trying to come into this world. She needed so much care that my parents didn't have time to argue about the affair. Besides, my mother had wanted a daughter and couldn't conceive any more children after me since she had such a tumultuous pregnancy and birth, she decided to raise Savannah as her own. And what would have been a messy divorce between my parents turned into the glue that held them together.
Now she was the pain in my ass reminding me how uncool I was and probably telling embarrassing stories to the woman I liked. I needed to get there and do damage control.
I arrived back at the table and my sister and Nadia's friend were laughing like old friends, while Nadia sat there trying (and failing) to stifle her laughter.
Oh no, what did she say about me?
When I sat down, all three turned and looked at me, snickering.
“I’m sorry,” Nadia spoke first. “I tried to steer the subject from you but they just wouldn’t budge.”
She could hardly contain her laughter but at least she was happy, even if it was at my own expense.
Since this morning’s incident, I felt Nadia was avoiding me like the plague. Although, to be fair, I was trying to steer clear of her two. Anytime she stepped out of her office, I made sure to be wrapped up in an email or a phone call, so I wouldn’t notice her. Yet each time, our eyes would meet and she’d scurry off before time could stand still. Although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit she left me breathless each time she looked at me. I wondered if I did the same to her.
“Earth to Derrick.” Savannah waved her hand in my face.
“Huh?” I turned to my sister.
Warmth colored my cheeks as I looked anywhere but at Nadia. My sister was enjoying this way too much. Even Nadia’s friend, Faisa, was sputtering in laughter.
When I happened to peek up at Nadia, she was heavily engrossed in her drink, circling her delicate finger around the rim of her glass.
What I wouldn’t give for her to touch me like that.
She looked up, at our eyes meeting and once again, it was just she and I in our own little world. The noise of the restaurant faded into the background, the lights dimmed and my sister and her friend disappeared.
My hand reached out across the table and gently touched the tips of her fingers with my own. At first she was hesitant, recoiling from my touch, until slowly but surely her fingers reached mine, interlocking.
“Oooo!” Savannah cooed, breaking the spell as Nadia’s hand slipped from mine.
“Savannah!” I ground out under my breath.
“I think it’s time for us to go,” she said in the same breath, standing. “Thanks for the drinks,” she told me quickly before darting off, her friend in tow.
“Wait, Nadia,” I called after her but she was already halfway across the restaurant.
“Hey, I was just–”
“Not another word,” I cut my sister off. “Get your stuff and let’s go.”
“Listen, I get your upset but you don’t have to be such a big baby,” she griped as she grabbed her silly, little duck purse made out of rhinestones.
Seriously, I would never be able to understand my little sister. She was immature, selfish, spoiled, bratty and all around a pain in my ass. My parents were the ones who chose to raise her, yet they sent her to me to clean up their shitty parenting.
Well, I’d had enough. I was so close to Nadia tonight and now she slipped right through my fingers all because Savannah had to be so juvenile.
“Shutup,” I snapped. “For once in your life if you’re not going to take responsi–
“Hey!” she interjected but I continued.
“--bility in your life, then just shut the fuck up.”
She clamped up, bottom lip quivering, ready to cry but then she bit down, stealing her sapphire orbs into a cold, icy stare and stomped off past me.
I didn’t care how childish I was being, lashing out, Savannah ruined everything and this time was no different. First thing tomorrow, I was sending her back to her parents and they could deal with her, like they should have done in the first place.
