by Nia Arthurs
“Yes, mother.” Kelly sent her friend a smile. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not interested in Benjamin Levy in the slightest. What I want to know is why you’re making such a big deal of this. Did something happen?”
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “I mean, apart from Randal asking me to marry him yesterday.”
“Did you accept this time?”
“What? And legally tie myself to man who can’t keep a job for more than six months at a time? Girl, I’m not crazy.”
“Randal will just keep asking you to marry him until you give in.”
“We’re doing fine just living together. It’s basically the same thing anyway.” Rene stood and walked slowly toward the door, her expression grave. “We’re not getting any younger, Kel. I know, deep down, you want that fairytale husband, two and a half kids and the white picket fence. You’re not asking for a fancy mansion and housemaids. You’re not asking for more than love and an employed guy with good habits. Don’t let his charm fool you. Benjamin Levy’s not just a man. He’s a company. A name. A brand. One you can’t afford.”
“Geez. Do I look like some kind of gold-digger to you?”
“You look like my best friend. I’ve seen the crap you’ve been through with Clayton all these years. If you’re gonna move on, do it with someone in this world.” She drew a circle in the air. “Do it with someone single and normal. Promise?”
“Single and normal. I can do that.”
“Great.”
“But I’m still waiting for Clayton.”
“Whatever makes you happy.”
And he did. Clayton made her very happy.
She barely knew Benjamin Levy apart from the feel of his lips and the shared connection of losing a beloved parent. Rene had nothing to worry about. Her boss had briefly entered her orbit, but when it was time for him to fly away, Kelly would let him pass without making contact.
Rule Breaker
Later that morning, a knock came at her door. Kelly glanced up from the account she was balancing and narrowed her eyes at the interruption. Errol glared right back, equally perturbed to be standing there.
“Mr. Levy wants to speak to you,” Errol said.
“Me?” Kelly pointed at her chest. “Why? Did he find something wrong with the accounts?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then why does he want to see me?”
“Why are you asking so many questions,” Errol mocked in a high-pitched voice. “If the C.E.O. wants an audience. You go without making a sound.”
She planted her feet on the ground and folded her arms across her chest instead. “I send a summary of the company spreadsheets every month. All my accounts are available to you and to Mr. Levy under a private password. The information is there if he’s willing to click on it.”
Errol pooled his fingers together until they formed a temple. With an exhausted sigh, he stepped closer to her. “Ms. Banner, I don’t understand why you’re putting up a fuss and I don’t particularly care. Simply stand to your feet, walk down the hall, and see what the meeting is about. Hm?”
She grudgingly rose and wiped her hands down the sides of her pencil skirt to dry them off. Kelly would never admit it out loud, but after Rene’s warning that morning, just the thought of being around Benjamin Levy made her nervous.
Her brave insistence that she wasn’t interested “in the slightest” was a bald-faced lie. She was more than interested—to be more specific—her body was more than interested.
“Ms. Banner?” Errol reclaimed her attention.
“I’m going. I’m going.”
“Thank you very much.” Errol applauded her as she stepped out of the office and trotted toward the back of the building. “I appreciate it, Ms. Banner.”
One day, she would return every snarky word Errol had ever hurled at her. For now, she ducked her head and shuffled to Benjamin’s office.
On her way, she passed the architect drawing room. Though D&T used cutting edge printers and computers, the old-school style of drawing a blueprint manually was still a popular request by clients.
“Hey, Banner!” She heard a voice and spun toward the doorway. Her gaze smacked on Harley and her lips curled up in response.
“I’m busy, Harley,” she said, taking a step away.
Harley rushed to the door and flattened her hands against either side of the wooden frame. “Are you going to see Mr. Levy?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Did he ask to see the accounts? Or is it personal?”
“I thought we could barely keep up with the workload because of all the contracts in our pipeline, but maybe I was wrong. It looks like you have a lot of free time on your hands.”
“What’s your relationship with Benjamin Levy?”
Kelly smirked. “Why? Do you have your eyes on him.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Harley whipped her glossy hair behind her shoulder. “So I’d like to know if I’ve got competition.”
“He’s all yours, mama.” Kelly waved away Harley’s concern. “But get all up in my business again and you won’t like it.”
“Whatever.” Harley turned breezily away and mumbled. “It’s not like he would want you long term anyway.”
The words fizzled in Kelly’s spirit, echoing the sentiment her best friend had shared earlier. What was with everyone today? Harley was her usual annoying self, but even she seemed to recognize Kelly’s inadequacy.
Kelly pushed the conversation from her mind and continued to the corner office, stopping before Benjamin’s name plaque. The wooden door loomed like a gate to hell. She hesitated, her hand on the handle.
“You can do this, Kel.” She inhaled a deep breath. “You can keep from getting sucked in.”
Prepared, she knocked on the door before turning the knob and walking inside. The spacious office had floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea to the east. The natural light illuminated a large mahogany desk, plush wingback chairs, and a miniature fountain spurting twinkling water from an angel’s pursed lips.
Fancy.
“Kelly!” Benjamin welcomed her into his office and gestured to a chair across from him. “Please sit.”
His use of her first name instead of her last immediately set a more informal tone than she was comfortable with. Kelly touched her bun to make sure no stray hairs were sticking out and gingerly lowered her body into a seat.
To her surprise, Benjamin rose and came around his desk to take the chair beside her. “I hope you don’t mind. I like to talk to people without obstruction if I can help it.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “Did you need something?”
“I have a question about the flow of funds into this account?” He produced a tablet and clicked to one of her spreadsheets. “I wanted to ask you about it last night, but figured it wouldn’t be appropriate to come downstairs and bother you on your off-time.”
“That was a good call.”
He smiled, his eyes crystal clear. Her heart thudded when he turned that mega-watt grin toward her.
Shoot
She cleared her throat and dove into a detailed explanation of the account’s history and purpose. When she was done, Benjamin nodded and thoughtfully stroked his clean-shaven chin.
“That was very informative, Kelly. Thank you.”
“Feel free to email or call me if you have any more questions.” She rose. “I believe in 100% transparency when it comes to bookkeeping so your inquiries are more than welcome.”
“I can see that.” He stood with her. “Now, what does one do for lunch around here?”
She chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at her watch, surprised to find that it was nearly twelve o’clock. “I had no idea it was this late. Usually, we order food from a restaurant. Some people go out to eat. Some bring lunch.”
“What do you do?”
“Me?” She pointed a finger at her chest. “You’re asking what I’m doing for lunch?”
“That’s right.”
She backed up. “Why?”
He tilted his head. “Why what?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
Benjamin chuckled. “Do I make you that uncomfortable?”
“As a matter of fact,” she inhaled, “you do.”
“Ah.” He nodded as a satisfied smirk tilted his beautiful lips. “That’s good.”
Her jaw dropped. “Good?”
He took a determined step toward her, his eyes drilling into her own. She swallowed, realized that she couldn’t breathe, and nearly choked in the process. Through it all, Benjamin kept advancing—his baby blues hypnotizing her.
“Truth is… you make me nervous too.”
“I-I do?”
He nodded. “I never know when you’ll just spring another kiss on me.”
The spell broke and her expression crumbled. “I told you that was a mistake.”
He laughed, the sound rolling over her and sending goosebumps up her arms. “I’ll get you back.” His gaze turned steamy. “I promise.”
Kelly licked her lips and backed up toward the door. She did not stop until she felt the doorknob pressing into her spine and absently smacked her fingers against the wood until she located the lock.
“I’ll tell Renesha to order an extra plate of food for you,” she said, her gaze somewhere past the point of Benjamin’s shoulders. The breathless rush of her voice was near inaudible as she said the rest of her good-bye and fled.
Kelly ran past the drawing room, barely registering when Harley poked her head out and called to her. She flew straight past Errol who walked down the hall with folders in his hands. She finally skidded into the bathroom where she could hyperventilate in peace.
Her fingers cupped under the faucet as water gushed into her hands. She flung the refreshing spray on her face and gripped the edge of the sink until the pressure grounded her.
“What is wrong with me?” Kelly hissed. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt a flare of attraction for someone else. Heck, it wasn’t even the first time she’d wanted to jump someone at work.
The problem was simple.
Benjamin Levy wouldn’t just be another lay. He was her boss. Making things complicated in her professional life and muddying the waters with Clayton. He was a mountain of issues stacked in a very, very nice package. But oh how she wanted to unwrap it.
Benjamin was probably feeling the same way. Right? Those eyes, the looks—he was no saint himself.
All men wanted sex. Lots of it. From any woman with a decent face who could give it to them, and sometimes the standard wasn’t even that high.
She had become accustomed to male admiration and knew all the rules for the cat and mouse game that boys liked to play.
But Benjamin struck her as a rule breaker.
When he looked at her, she felt undressed—not in the sleazy lingering-on-her-breasts-and-butt kind of way. No, with Benjamin, she sensed he was trying to strip past her clothes to her very soul.
It was unnerving, but tugged on the part of her that wanted to be known as more than a fun time in bed or a sexy body. Already, the leaning to give in to their shared curiosity and dig beneath the surface of Benjamin’s interest was hard to ignore.
What was it about her that he found so fascinating? Would he still feel the same if she ever allowed him to push past the boundaries she had placed between them?
“Get yourself together, Kelly,” she scolded the woman in the mirror. “If it’s about sex, go for it and move on.”
The idea took root and grew in appeal the more she lingered on it. Yes, that’s what it was. Perhaps Benjamin was curious about intimacy with a black woman? Perhaps her kiss had given him a case of ‘jungle fever’.
If she slept with him once, just one little time, they’d both get it out of their system and move on. There was no harm if she kept her heart safely tucked away. Kelly could bend her in-office dating rule just this once, couldn’t she?
Honey On A Low-Hanging Branch
The scent of honey filled her nostrils as the masseuse poured brown sugar on her body and rubbed the tiny crystals against her skin. Oriental music played in the background and candles flickered on the ground in the large hut.
“You plan to do what to our C.E.O.?” Rene shrieked from the bed next to Kelly’s. Though her head was planted in the cutout of the foam mattress, she could feel Renesha’s stare boring into her.
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m going to sleep with him. Ride him. Have my way with him. Don’t act like this is the first time you’ve heard about sex, Rene.”
“There are so many things that are wrong with that statement I can’t even begin to list them.”
Kelly sighed. “I bet you’re going to do it anyway.”
“Heck yeah I am! First of all, he’s our boss!”
“He’s the second son of an international conglomerate. Do you really think he’s going to stick around in Belize? We’re a beautiful country, but our slow, island pace can’t match someone like Benjamin’s lifestyle. He’ll move back to New York or Paris or wherever his business takes him next and I’ll be free to keep working.”
“Kelly, you’re so naïve. What if things go bad? What if he fires you?”
“That’s the beauty of my plan,” Kelly said smugly. “I’m not looking for a relationship or a sugar daddy. I make my own money and pay my own bills. We’re just agreeing to scratch a mutual itch. He’ll move on like it never happened and I will too.”
“You kissed him by accident and he’s still teasing you about it. You think having sex will end after doing it once?”
“We can do it twice.”
“Be serious, Kel! You’re playing with your job here! And what about Clayton, huh? What about all your promises to stay faithful and wait for him?”
“Clayton is the last person to judge me. He hid the fact that he was married for twelve months and kept me on the side. Why would he have a problem if I did the same? Boys aren’t the only ones allowed to have fun.”
“What about basic human decency?”
She waved her arm. “Dating a married man. I gave that up after the birth of Clayton’s second baby girl.”
“At least you’re aware of it,” Rene grumbled. “And what makes you think Benjamin will even want to sleep with you. Maybe he has higher standards than that.”
Kelly laughed so hard, the masseuse had to scramble to keep the brown sugar on her back. “Honey, men and high standards don’t go together. I may not be a Tiffany with blonde hair and blue eyes, but I’ve got more than enough to keep his attention for one night.”
“You’re beyond crazy.”
“He’s the one driving me crazy. It’s been three days since he came to work and two days since he moved into my apartment building. Being around him all the time, battling the sexual tension, it’s incredibly frustrating! I’ve never felt so drawn to anyone like this before.”
“Not even Clayton?”
Kelly pictured the first moment she laid eyes on Clayton. “It wasn’t immediate with him.” She admitted. “He pursued me for two months before we even had sex.”
“What a saint.”
“Don’t judge.”
“Sorry. I’m just trying to understand you.”
“Not everyone can have a Randal, sweetie. You’re incredibly lucky your man comes home to you every night—even if he is allergic to working.”
Rene snorted. “So how do you plan to woo someone like Benjamin Levy? It’s not like you can be upfront about it.”
“Why not? I was planning to invite him over to my place, eat some food and head straight to dessert. You have a better idea?”
“Scrap the whole thing?”
“Next!”
“I’d go carefully,” Rene insisted. “He’s still your boss. You don’t want to misread the signals because of your own agenda. Play it safe. What if he has herpes or something?”
“I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“
Exactly. Could you think with your brain instead of your—”
“Please turn ova,” the masseuse instructed.
Rene and Kelly fumbled around until they lay on their backs and stared at the thatch roof. Silence lingered between them and the music eagerly filled up the space, winding around their limbs and turning their bones to mush.
“When was the last time you visited your grandmother?” Rene mumbled.
Kelly stiffened immediately. “I’ve been busy.”
“Come on, Kel. She raised you when your mom could barely scrape by. It’s been weeks since she moved back to her village. You should see how she’s doing.”
“I pay her bills and send her a cheque every month. That should be enough.”
Rene paused and then admitted. “She calls me every now and again to check up on you.”
“Why are you bringing this up now?” Kelly groaned. “I went so long without even thinking about her.”
“What are you so afraid of? She’s an old lady!”
“We have a difference of opinion.”
“She loves you.”’
“She doesn’t understand me.” Kelly sighed as she imagined her grandmother’s weathered brown face, long grey hair—more often than not worn in plaits on either side of her head—and eyes slightly blue from age.
During her teen and college years, Grandma Mercy frequently voiced her disapproval for Kelly’s lifestyle. They’d fought constantly and Kelly had moved out, choosing to squeeze into Rene and Randal’s house rather than spend one more minute under her grandmother’s fierce rule.
Since then, she didn’t keep up with Grandma Mercy, but her sense of responsibility had never waned. If her gran needed anything, Kelly would provide it. She owed her that much.
“What about you, huh?” Kelly glanced at her friend. “When are you going to make a decision about Randal? If he’s not someone you want to get married to, why are you living with him?”
“Because I love him.”
“He’s a freeloader, girl. Do you want to be attached to a bum for the rest of your life?”