Catt Chasing

by Shana Burton

  Toria took a swig from her can. “Why are you so down on the brother? Maybe this dude really is what he says he is.”

  Catt shook her head. “I’m not letting my guard down for a minute. I have a bad feeling about him, and my instincts are never wrong about this stuff. I don’t trust him. Believe me when I tell you, girl, Jamal Ford is trouble with a capital T!”

  Chapter 6

  For once, Catt didn’t indulge in her first cup of coffee in the solitude of her office. Instead, she opted to have it in the lobby of the building where everyone else usually gathered for office gossip and idle conversation before putting in a day’s work. She made this decision partially to avoid being alone in the lab with Jamal but mostly to find out what other people were saying about him. She wasn’t surprised to discover that most of the women in the office were already fawning over the charming new chemist.

  “I met your new partner,” mentioned Francine Tukes, one of the quality control chemists, as they huddled around the percolator. “It must be nice to be stuck in isolation with him all day.”

  Catt played it cool, not wanting to appear overly interested or too religious to notice when an attractive man had entered their midst. “He’s all right if you go for that conceited, Boris Kodjoe-wannabe type.”

  Francine eyed Catt incredulously. “Who doesn’t?”

  “You must be talking about that oh-so-delicious Jamal Ford,” butt in the receptionist Michelle, from her desk. “He’s so charming and sexy.”

  Catt noticed that Michelle’s blouse was cut lower than usual, presumably to give Jamal an eyeful as soon as he walked into the building. “He’s seems a little arrogant to me,” admitted Catt.

  Francine appeared puzzled. “Everyone else says he’s so nice. I know I didn’t get that vibe from him when I met him.” She sipped her coffee. “Then again, I was only with him for about twenty seconds. You’re with him all day, so I guess you would know.”

  “What’s it like working with him, Catt?” asked Michelle, who was practically salivating.

  “Yeah, Catt, tell us what it’s like working with him,” echoed a voice from behind. It was Jamal. Catt froze. “Good morning, ladies.”

  Michelle cleared her throat and sat upright, embarrassed by Jamal overhearing them. “Good morning, Mr. Ford.”

  “Good morning, Miss Billings,” he replied graciously. “Good morning to you too, Miss Tukes.”

  Francine glowed. “You remembered my name. How are you doing this fine day?”

  Jamal punched in their floor on the elevator dial. “Great. I’m looking forward to another productive day here at Telegenic.” He nodded to Catt. “What’s up, Catt?”

  “Hello, Jamal.” They exchanged awkward, tense glances. The elevator finally opened up and invited him in. “Well, you beautiful women have a good day, and, Catt, I guess I’ll see you in the lab.”

  “I guess you will,” said Catt a little testily. It stung a bit that he was able to readily recall Michelle’s and Francine’s names but had forgotten hers two minutes after they met the day before.

  “He is just as fine as he wants to be,” uttered Francine as the elevator door closed in on him.

  Michelle readjusted her blouse to make it appear more conservative. “You ain’t the only one who thinks so. The secretary over at Mystique said he used to have women calling up there left and right.”

  “Oh?” replied Catt.

  Francine wasn’t shocked. “You know a man like that keeps women.”

  The statement hit a nerve with Catt. “I just hope he keeps them out of my lab. We have enough to worry about without adding loose women to the list.”

  Having had her fill of coffee and tidbits about Jamal, Catt hopped on the next available elevator and braced herself for the rush of air and for the latest round of clashing with her new lab partner.

  The clash that she’d been gearing up for never came. As soon as Catt entered the lab, Jamal brushed past her with a stack of folders bundled under his arm. He uttered a barely audible “The lab is all yours” before being absorbed by the elevator.

  Meetings and other obligations kept Catt from seeing him for the rest of the morning. She enjoyed having the lab to herself again, but the smell of his cologne lingered long after he left, much like his presence.

  By the time lunch rolled around, Jamal still hadn’t returned. Catt was so engrossed in her work that she’d practically forgotten he existed or that she had promised to meet her father for lunch. Noting the time, she quickly put away her test tubes and made a mad dash to McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant to meet Jeremiah.

  “Sorry I’m late, Daddy,” apologized Catt as she scurried into the restaurant twenty minutes late. She kissed her father on the cheek. “I got held up at work.”

  “I’ve told you about working so hard,” he warned her as he stood up to pull out Catt’s chair for her.

  “You don’t have to remind me,” she sang and sat down.

  The waiter came over to their table and placed menus down in front of them. “Is your entire party here now, sir?”

  “Yes,” answered Catt. “He was waiting on me.”

  “Umm, there’s actually one more who’ll be joining us,” said Jeremiah.

  Catt blinked. “One more?”

  “I’ll give you a few more minutes,” said the waiter before speeding off.

  “Who else is coming?” asked Catt.

  “Someone from the church,” he answered quickly. “So tell me what’s going on in the cosmetic world? Y’all still in a panic over there about sales?”

  “Something like that,” divulged Catt.

  “I’ve been praying for you. It’s kind of tough on everyone with this economy.”

  “Yeah, we’ve hit a slump, but we’ll bounce back. We always do. Oni just hired this new wonder boy who they think is the answer to all of our problems.”

  “I take it you’re not sold on the new guy.”

  Catt’s expression changed. “Daddy, there’s just something off about him. My spirit gets very restless whenever he’s around me.”

  “Have you prayed about it; asked God to give you some discernment about this person?”

  “Not yet,” reported Catt. “Everybody seems to think that I’m the problem and that he’s such a great guy. I’m trying to keep an open mind, but there’s still this negative feeling about him that I can’t shake.”

  “Just pray. Ask God to bind any demonic force at work that maybe hindering you from working together. Turn it over to the Lord. I guarantee you’ll get better results than trying to figure this thing out by yourself.”

  “You’re right,” she conceded. “God can certainly handle the situation and Jamal a lot better than I can.”

  “You would do well to listen to your old dad,” advised Jeremiah. “I’ve gotten pretty good at knowing what’s best for my little girl. Speaking of which . . .” Jeremiah waved to get Eldon’s attention and called, “Minister, over here.”

  Eldon crisscrossed his way through the maze of tables to get to theirs. He shook Jeremiah’s hand and caressed Catt’s. “How are you doing today, Sister Cason?”

  Catt plastered on a smile. “I’m great. I didn’t know you’d be joining us.”

  “It’s not a problem, is it?” asked Eldon before sitting down.

  Catt shook her head. “Of course not, just wasn’t expecting you, that’s all.”

  “My being here is a pleasant surprise, I hope.”

  Catt didn’t reply but smiled politely.

  Eldon picked up a menu. “So, what are you two having?”

  Catt skimmed the menu. “Just a Cobb salad for me. I’m trying to watch my figure these days.”

  Eldon gave her the once-over. “I don’t know why. I think you’re perfect the way you are.”

  She doubted that. “Thank you, Eldon, but it’s more about being healthy than it is about trying to squeeze into a size two.”

  “The minister exercises quite often,” said Jeremiah. “Maybe the two
of you ought to work out together.”

  “I would love that,” Eldon chimed in. “Working out is always more productive when you have a partner. Everything is.”

  Catt caught the hint. “I’ll keep that in mind, Eldon.”

  “Sweetheart, you ought to see some of the exciting things the minister is coming up with for our youth,” suggested Jeremiah after their orders had been taken and their plates brought out.

  “I love kids. It’s truly a labor of love,” said Eldon.

  “You definitely have a calling for it,” acknowledged Catt. “I’ve seen the way you are with the children and the teens. You’re going to make a great dad.”

  “I’m sure he will. A great husband too,” declared Jeremiah, cracking open his snow crabs.

  Catt cut her eyes at her father. Could he be more obvious?

  Eldon hung his head bashfully. “Your father is very generous with the kind words.”

  “My father is a lot of things,” mumbled Catt before sipping her tea.

  “All right, what can I say?” confessed Jeremiah, exasperated. “I think you two would make a fine couple.”

  Catt shook her head. This was not the first, and probably not the last, time that Jeremiah had taken it upon himself to find her a suitable mate. “If you don’t mind, Daddy, I prefer to leave the matchmaking to my Heavenly Father, not my earthly one.”

  Her father objected. “Sometimes the Lord works through others, you know that, Catt.”

  “And sometimes we get in the Lord’s way when we try to force things to happen, don’t we, Daddy?” countered Catt. The irritation was now detectable in her voice. “God said, ‘I know my plans for you.’ He never said anything about needing us to help out with our own agendas.”

  Jeremiah put down his fork and wiped his hands. “Uh-huh,” he grunted and rose from his chair. “If you two will excuse me, I need to make a phone call.”

  Catt sighed as she watched her father walk away. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of all this, Eldon. My father is on a mission to get me down the aisle by any means—and minister—necessary!”

  Eldon laughed. “His heart is in the right place.”

  “Yeah, but his nose isn’t!”

  Eldon leaned forward. “Truth be told, Catt, I didn’t need him to sell me on the idea of you being a good catch. I concluded that on my own a long time ago.”

  She smiled. “I think you’re a good man, Eldon. I hope that we can grow to become great friends.”

  He sat back in his chair. “So all you’re looking for is friendship, huh?”

  Catt shrugged. “I don’t really think about much else. Work ties up a lot of my time. Plus, I have my ministries at the church to worry about. There’s not really a lot of room in my life for much else.”

  Eldon began eating again. “Church and work—that’s really it for you?”

  “Well, I like sports, and I love to read too,” she added, pushing her salad around her plate. She wondered if her life was really as boring as it sounded.

  “Anything other than the Bible?” Eldon asked.

  “Sure. I like poetry.”

  Eldon lit up. “I do too.” He was grateful to see that they had something other than the Lord and ambition in common. “Who’s your favorite poet?”

  She mulled it over. “Wow, there are so many, but I have to say Sonia Sanchez and Stephany immediately come to mind.”

  “Who’s Stephany? I’ve never heard of her.”

  “She’s kind of an unknown. I started getting into her stuff in undergrad. She’s one of those poets who started building a name for herself during the ’60s.”

  Eldon drew a blank. “The name’s not ringing a bell. Do you know anything of hers by heart? I might recognize some of her work if I hear it.”

  “In the silence of the city night when the lonely watch the sky in yearning, I at rest beside you, lie in peace. I searched a thousand skies before you came,” recited Catt.

  “Is that hers?”

  “Yes, isn’t it beautiful?” she sighed.

  “It probably would be if I knew what the heck she was talking about.”

  “She’s talking about a woman who goes her whole life searching for love, and she finally finds him. Then she looks around at all of the lonely people in the world, and she realizes how blessed she is to have true love. She doesn’t have to watch the sky or roam or be alone anymore.”

  “Is that what you’re doing—watching the sky, roaming, looking for love?” posed Eldon.

  “I guess we all are in a way. I just hope I find love the same time it finds me, you know?”

  Eldon nodded. “Believe me, I’ve done my fair share of looking. But who knows.” He reached across the table and lifted her chin. “Maybe the one I’ve been searching for all of my life has been right here in front of me all along.”

  Chapter 7

  The next few weeks of working with Jamal mirrored the day he rushed by her to catch the elevator. Their interactions consisted mostly of seeing each other in spurts as he raced from one meeting to another with Oni or some other executive within the company. His name was barely even mentioned in office gossip anymore as most of the women at Telegenic had concluded that either he was all business or was sleeping with Oni.

  “Where’s your shadow?” asked Catt, looking up from her test tube. “You and Oni have been joined at the hip lately.”

  “We’ve been collaborating with the other departments trying to finalize everything for the meeting tomorrow. You do intend to be there, don’t you?”

  “Oni’s memo didn’t give me the impression that it was optional.”

  “It’s not, but I really want you there. With so much going on and so many changes being made, we need your input.”

  Catt threw him a side-eyed glance accompanied by a sarcastic, “Yeah, right.”

  “Pardon?”

  “You don’t want my opinion, Jamal. If that were the case, perhaps I would have been included in some of these secret strategy sessions with you and Oni. No, you just want me to smile, say yes, and do as I’m told like some kind of mindless waif.”

  He frowned. “Why do you always act like there’s some kind of conspiracy going on? Respect the chain of command like everyone else.” He swiped the test tube away from her.

  “Hey!” She snatched it back.

  Jamal retrieved it again. “I want to see what you’ve been working on. Gotta make sure you haven’t been slackin’ off in my absence.”

  “Slacking off? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been chained to this lab for the past two weeks.”

  He took a whiff of the product. “Did you create this by yourself?”

  “It’s just something I’ve been playing around with. I’m not asking for a critique yet,” clarified Catt in an attempt to squash his latest round of rejections before he fired them off.

  Jamal smelled it again. “Is it for the men’s line?”

  “It could be. I think it’s too rugged for women.” She revealed the truth. “Actually, my dad’s birthday is coming up, and I thought it would be nice to give him his own signature fragrance. Don’t worry—I haven’t been wasting company time working on this. I do it before or after work.”

  “I’m not as worried about you wasting the company’s time as I am you wasting company resources,” he grumbled. “But I like it. I want Oni to take a look at it.”

  She beamed with pride. “So I’ve finally created something you like?”

  “Two things, actually. I’ve been doing a little work on one of the fragrances you started on that I thought you had some potential. Here, check this out.”

  She inhaled the invigorating scent. “I love it. It’s clean, not too flowery or overwhelming.” She sniffed it again. “Very feminine.”

  “Let’s try a little bit on you.” He dabbed a few drops on her wrists. “How’s that?”

  She stretched out her arm to him. “You smell it, and tell me what you think.”

  He took her hand and lifted her wr
ist to his nose. “It’s sexy and seductive.” He flashed her a smile. “Or maybe it just smells that way on you.” He daubed some on her neck and leaned into it. “I especially like it right here.”

  Catt’s head was starting to swoon with his being so close to her. “Maybe we should call Oni and tell her the good news,” she suggested in a futile effort to distract him or herself.

  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, burying his face in her neck.

  She was taken unawares, paralyzed into submission. “Jamal, what are you doing?” she squalled.

  He lifted his head. “Research.”

  “Research?”

  “Yeah, this is how I conduct my analysis.”

  Catt pushed him away. “Your methods are very unconventional . . . and extremely inappropriate!”

  “Don’t get your dandruff up. It’s not anything personal. I’m just trying to determine how this fragrance affects men when it is worn by a beautiful woman.”

  She was still flushed. It was undeniable: Jamal Ford definitely had a way with women. “And what was your conclusion, Mr. Ford?”

  He arrested her with his gaze. “Once again, the data was inconclusive.”

  Catt composed herself and slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. “For future reference, please don’t mistake me for one of these lovesick women throwing themselves at you around here. Your charm is wasted on me.”

  Jamal jotted something down on his clipboard and laughed a little. “Whatever, Catt . . . you know you liked it.”

  Catt rolled her eyes. “You’re so smug. It’s infuriating.”

  He turned and addressed her head-on. “Not smug, just sure of myself.”

  “I believe the phrase you’re looking for is full of yourself.”

  “But that’s what you love about me, isn’t it?” asked Jamal with a wink.

  “Try loathe about you.”

  “You know what I love about you?” he went on. “I like it when you squint your eyes and your lips get all pouty like that. It’s kind of sexy.”

  She could feel heat rising to her face. “I don’t think this conversation is appropriate for the workplace. Besides, I’m a Christian. I don’t like engaging in conversations and acts that compromise or contradict my faith.”