“I will in a minute. Stephon and I will probably be heading home soon anyway,” she said, looking at her watch.
“For what? To make more babies?” I teased.
“Don’t be worrying about what my husband and I are doing. You need to worry about you and that little girl over there.”
“I got her under control,” I laughed.
“Just be careful with her. Yo big ass liable to break that little bitty girl,” Lauryn said, rubbing her arm from where my nephew’s head had been resting before I’d picked him up.
“Oh, she can handle this. You’d better believe she can get with all this shit I got for her,” I said, my eyes growing heavy.
I wanted to snatch her up in a corner somewhere and let her handle me now.
“Uh-uh!”
“What?” I asked, frowning at my sister.
“I. Do. Not. Want to hear about your sex life,” she emphasized, scrunching her face.
I chuckled. “Then quit going there.”
Before she could respond, Silver walked up to us with a large smile on her face, causing Bear to stand up and prance happily around her. He let loose a series of excited barks before she calmed him down and turned her attention to me.
“Wassup, babe, you good?” I asked.
“Yes. Your parents are so funny. They love dancing, and they dance so well,” she said.
“Mm-mm, I see I need to teach you,” Lauryn said as she and I shared a laugh between us. “Our parents cannot dance. And don’t go around telling them that. They’re just going to get a big head.”
“Yup,” I agreed.
“Here, let me take him and put him in his crib,” Lauryn said, taking my nephew from my arms again.
Once she had moved on, Silver took the chair Lauryn had occupied.
“You’re good with your nephew. I saw you playing with him when we first arrived and then just now...the way that you were holding him. Do you want kids, Kole?” she asked, her brown eyes sparkling.
Where the hell was this conversation going? I wondered. Why was everyone moving so damned fast?
“Just wondering, I’m not putting out any thoughts or feelers,” Silver said, placing her chin in her palm as she stared expectantly at me.
“Uh...yeah, one day?”
The truth was, I’d had all those thoughts when I was with Vanessa. She’d killed my dreams about starting a family. I couldn’t imagine the hurt that could come up if I started a family, and my wife cheated on me. It wouldn’t be just about my pain, but the kids, too.
No, thanks. I was good on all that. I wanted to protect my heart and that of my future seed.
“I’ve always wanted kids, but not right away. When I marry, I want to travel the world with my husband first, and live life. Maybe five years down the road,” she said.
“Yeah, you’ve got time. You’re what? Twenty-six?”
She nodded.
This conversation was killing my mood. “Aye, you ready to bounce?” I asked.
“Sure, any time you are. We’re heading home?”
“Nah, I was thinking about stopping by Brighton Park first. Wanna check out the fireworks with me?”
“Yeah, Kole,” she said.
There was something weird in her tone and her expression. I know that she recognized the swift shift in my mood. There was nothing that I could do about it but go with the flow.
“Ma, Pops, we’re about to head out for the evening,” I said, approaching my parents while holding Silver’s hand. Bear was right by my side.
“Already? But you just got here four hours ago,” my mother complained.
My dad looked at her in disbelief, shaking his head. “You know it doesn’t matter how much time you spend; it’ll never be enough for your mama. She’d be happy if you all moved back home again.”
“That’s right, because I love my family, and I love my baby even more,” she said, reaching up to pinch my cheeks.
I reared back, barely avoiding her touch. My dad laughed.
“Silver, it was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope Kole brings you back soon,” my mother said, pulling Silver into a hug.
“The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Smith,” Silver replied.
“Uh-uh, baby. I told you, it’s Mary and James. Don’t be so formal,” my mother replied.
“Thank you, Mary,” Silver said, smiling.
“You’re welcome. And make sure you bring this sweet baby back, too,” my mother encouraged, kneeling and rubbing Bear, who basked in the attention he was receiving.
“Yeah, I think he likes it here, too,” Silver replied with laughter as she grabbed his leash.
As we begin to walk away, my dad called my name.
“Kole!”
“Yes, sir?”
“That’s a good girl. Don’t let her get away,” he warned, pointing at me as he lowered his head slightly and gave me “the eye.”
“Yes, baby, I think she’s the one,” my mother chimed in.
“All right, you two. Chill. I’m out,” I said, shaking my head as I walked away.
“Boy! I ain’t playing with you! I know a good thing when I see it! And that’s a good thing!” my dad hollered.
“If you keep on looking, you won’t be seeing nothing in a minute!” my mother warned my dad.
“Baby, I didn’t mean it like that.”
I laughed under my breath and kept walking as their voices grew lower. Quickly I caught up with Silver.
“They like you,” I said.
“Mmm,” she murmured, accepting my hand.
Her mind was a million miles away, and I could tell it was from my earlier shift in attitude. Damn. I didn’t mean to mess this day up. Hopefully, we’d find our groove again before the night was over.
CHAPTER 19 – KOLE
It was hot, and people’s tempers were on ten in the late evening. I’d seen more than a few folks arguing about something or other, so I kept Silver and Bear close to me. The last thing that I wanted was to find myself at the center of a fight tonight. And I knew she was scared.
Although with my big ass and her big ass dog around her, she had nothing to worry about. Silver had all the protection she needed. Yet, it didn’t quell the anxiety inside of her.
Each time an argument broke out around us, I could feel the tension humming through her body. Rubbing her shoulders or stroking the center of her palm would calm her down until another confrontation broke out.
I’d packed a couple of folding chairs and a blanket in my trunk for us to enjoy the evening. Silver had said she’d rather leave the chairs behind and just take the blanket when we got out at the park.
We were relaxing on the lawn, and Bear was lying at our feet. He had fallen asleep earlier, but I knew that would be over once the fireworks show started.
Silver was lying between my legs, with her head against my shoulders. I knew that she had drifted off into a light doze. Not because I could see her eyes. She was hiding them behind her dark sunglasses. But because of her steady slow breathing.
The sun had gone down, and the fireworks were about to start soon. I continued listening to the musical performances of the evening, thinking about the things my family had been saying to me. My parents were crazy about Silver, and despite my assurances that this thing was new, my mom was saying she was the one for me. My dad was cautioning me not to let her get away.
This day had been too much for me. As much as I was ready to get home and escape the pressure, I didn’t want to leave her either. That shit scared me. I barely knew this girl.
Yeah, we’d been around each other for the last few months. But we’d spent only a few weeks together, and I wanted to be under Silver a lot. A lot!
I stroked the side of her face as these thoughts flowed through my mind. She wiggled around, pulling the sunglasses off her face.
“You good?”
“Yeah,” she mumbled.
“They’re about to start the fireworks, babe. I know you wouldn’t want to miss that,” I said.
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“Mm-mm,” she replied, scooting up and sitting on my lap, resting her head on my shoulder.
We sat that way for a while as the fireworks show started. Silver excitedly “oohed” and “ahhed” over the spectacular display of lights, and cringed over the loud booms and pops. Bear nestled in at my side, barking when the night sky lit up and trembling when the explosions were too loud.
Every time Silver looked at me with a smile; I’d catch a glimpse of the happy future that I could have with her. But it scared the shit out of me.
We were nearing the end of the show when someone stumbled near us and fell, dropping their red cup of beer. Throwing my arms around Silver, I threw my shoulder forth to block out anything that might splash on her.
“Shit!” the man said as the pungent smell of beer filled the air.
That voice sounded familiar, but I didn’t know why until Silver said, “Ryan? Is that you?”
K-102’s photographer stood up, wiping the remnants of his spilled beer from his t-shirt.
“Yeah,” he was muttering as he tried to clean himself up. When he’d finished seconds later, he smiled at Silver.
“Silver, wh—”
Just as he was about to speak, Ryan’s gaze landed on me, sitting with my arms wrapped around Silver. Slowly his scowl turned to animosity, and I detected a hint of jealousy when his lips turned up in a sneer.
“You’re here with him?” he asked.
“Is that a problem for you?” I asked.
“No, but it just might be for you,” he replied.
“Look cuz, you don’t want these problems,” I warned.
I felt Silver tense up and instantly became pissed off. How’d I let myself forget about Silver’s feelings for a moment? I knew confrontations all night had her on edge, and the last thing she needed was for me to have one.
Ryan sneered at me, preparing to say something, but three guys came up behind him.
“Come on, Ryan, we’re about to cut out, dude,” the second guy to arrive said, tugging on his arm.
Ryan looked us both up and down, shook his head, and walked away.
“Are you all right?” I asked when I realized Silver was still tense.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Um...can we head home now? I’m kind of tired,” she said.
“Sure,” I said in a calm voice as if it didn’t bother me.
The show was ending anyway. But it did bother the fuck out of me. Because I suspected Silver’s reason for wanting to leave had nothing to do with the ending of the show. It was all about Ryan.
My mind wandered briefly back to when I’d first come to K-102. Ryan had said that his goal was to settle down and start a family. So, where Silver had played it like it was a one night stand when I brought it up to her, and then brushed it off, he clearly felt different. Dude had caught feelings along the way for Silver, and that she didn’t reciprocate.
I wasn’t too much worried about him, though, because I would fuck his bitch ass up if he got out of pocket. But I was concerned about her reaction to him seeing the two of us together.
I walked Silver to the car with my arm around her the entire way, and my other hand gripped Bear’s leash. She’d wrapped her arm around my waist, but she was silent.
After I’d placed Bear in the back seat, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her before she got into the car. There was less passion in her kiss than normal.
Throughout the ride home, she’d remained quiet. I tried engaging her in conversation about my family and the fireworks show. Her answers were brief and muttered, as though her mind were a million miles away.
“So, wassup? You coming back to my crib?” I asked as the elevator neared my floor.
She suppressed a yawn. Shaking her head, she said, “No, I think I’ll stay at my place tonight.”
“Want me to come up?”
“No, I’m really tired. It’s been a long day, Kole. So, I’ll probably just fall asleep when I get to the house. I need to feed Bear, shower, and go to bed,” she said as the doors opened at my floor.
I leaned back against the back elevator wall and crossed my arms over my chest. Her gaze focused downward while she scrolled through her phone.
When the doors closed again, she looked up at me and blinked.
“You missed your stop,” she said.
“Yeah, I kinda want to see you to your door. Make sure you get home safely,” I lied.
Like what the entire fuck was this? I didn’t beg a woman to be at my side, but I was bugging at how quickly she’d turned on me.
“Uh...I’ll be okay, Kole. We’re already inside of the building,” she said, tucking her phone into her purse and removing her keys.
The door opened at her floor, and I stepped off and followed her down the hallway.
“Just wanna make sure,” I muttered.
She sighed and kept walking to her door.
“I’m here,” she said after we’d arrived, and she inserted the key inside the lock.
I nodded but didn’t say anything or move until she’d opened the door.
“Good night, Kole,” she said softly.
Her beautiful eyes, the color of Irish coffee were so full of sorrow. I couldn’t let her go like this. I had a feeling she’d be up all night, stressing and worrying about what Ryan might do.
I put my hand against the door as she started closing it.
“Silver, don’t shut me out,” I said.
“I’m not, Kole. I just don’t feel up to sex tonight. I’m tired.”
I worked my jaw back and forth. “You think that’s all I want from you is sex?”
“I...I don’t know, Kole. Look, I’m just not up to this tonight, okay? Can we please...just not do this now?”
Bear squeezed between us and made his way into the apartment. I felt as if he were giving me the cold shoulder, too, now.
“I won’t press you, Silver. But we’re going to talk about it.”
She nodded.
“You’re good, though, right?”
“Yes, thanks for a wonderful time today, Kole,” she said, mustering up a smile that I knew she didn’t feel.
“Yeah...a’ight,” I said, pushing away from the door.
I watched as she closed it. A couple of seconds later, I took my pitiful ass back down the hallway to the elevators.
CHAPTER 20 – SILVER
The harsh glares I received when I walked through the door on Monday morning set my mood back from a six down to a two. Like, what the hell? Why was everyone staring at me and rolling their eyes as if I’d done something personal to them?
It started with Latosha, the receptionist, who also served as Kole’s assistant.
“Good morning, Tosha,” I greeted.
Her normally chipper, “Good morning, Silver? Did you have a great weekend?” became more of “Hey...grumble, grumble...Silver.”
I widened my eyes and shrugged my shoulders, making my way back to where our cubicles were. Maria Ortiz was my buddy in all things K-Pop. She even rolled her eyes at me and placed her earbuds in her ears when I waved good morning at her.
The same thing happened with a few other teammates that I never socialized with anyway. Gary brushed past me in the breakroom and quickly made his way out of the room. He muttered ‘good morning’ on his way out the door.
I sighed, deciding that this was just going to be one of those days. Rolling my eyes, I made my way back to my cubicle. Most of the morning was extremely busy as I responded to a slew of emails in my inbox and finished working on a marketing project Kole had assigned me last week.
He had been holed up in his office the entire morning, and I hadn’t caught a glimpse of him at all. The only reason that I knew he was in there was that I’d spotted him returning to his office after a meeting with Claire and a few executive managers.
Ryan had been conspicuously incognito, as had Kesha. But I recalled she had a dental appointment and wouldn’t be in until just before lunchtime anyway.
“Silver, may I see you
in my office for a moment,” Claire asked, leaning her head out the door.
Her office was two doors down from Kole’s, and as I passed his door, I tried to catch his gaze. But he was consumed by something on his laptop.
There was a sinking sensation in my belly as I stepped into her office.
“Please close the door behind you,” Claire directed a stern look on her face.
I did as instructed and took the chair opposite her desk.
“Silver, I’m going to get straight to the point. Your work is of excellent quality and always has been. You’re an invaluable asset to this company, but I must admit that I’m disappointed in your actions lately. While there’s no specific policy on fraternization, it does not bode well for your future career aspirations here to be involved with a consultant.”
My heart dropped, and I felt sick to my stomach. Ryan had wasted no time throwing me under the bus. But I wasn’t happy about Claire not giving me the benefit of the doubt. She asked no questions, instead choosing to believe whatever Ryan told her.
“In a time when we’re looking at budget cuts and people are worried about their jobs, your relationship with Kole Smith appears inappropriate and is not only ill-advised but poorly timed. The obvious conclusion is that you’re trying to make sure that your job remains intact.”
“Wait, people think that I’m involved with Kole to save my job? But everyone knows that he doesn’t have a say-so over whose terminated or not,” I objected, not bothering to deny my involvement with him.
At this point, there was no reason to deny it. And if Claire asked him about it, I’m sure he would confirm it. The fact that lying about it might result in some disciplinary action was a forgone conclusion.
“It doesn’t matter that he does not have input on whose job stays or goes; it appears that this is your motive for being with him. The other staff believes that this places them at a disadvantage. The fact that you’re working so closely with him puts you at an advantage the others do not have. Therefore, I’m removing you from working with him. Any assignments that you’ve been working on should be submitted to me effective immediately. Whether they’re finished or not,” Claire said.
“But Claire I—”
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