by Belvin, Love
I turned to Azmir as he sat reclined in his seat, seemingly in no rush at all, “Well, Mr. Jacobs…”
“Yes, Ms. Brimm?” he added and together we laughed. Ooooh! Azmir looked scrumptious against the almond leather of the car with lights glowing off his chocolate exterior. He was good looking…extraordinarily good looking. Who knew the Creator built men this exquisite?
“I had a wonderful time. It’s good to know that a man can still properly take a woman out without any backhanded and concealed motives.” I sighed deeply and slowly nodded. “This was nice.” I couldn’t help but give him the warmest smile; I knew it because it reflected what I was experiencing inside.
He returned, “Oh, I have a hidden agenda.”
“And what would that be?” I wasn’t quite expecting that declaration.
Azmir’s magnetic eyes propelled me, he used them a lot to communicate and I never missed a notion. “We’ll work our way there in due time. But I can tell you this, if it were about just games, I wouldn’t waste time on a date.” His tone was resolute and his eyes gleamed with such promise.
I got the impression that I wouldn’t be offended by whatever the true reason was. I liked him, still with my usual unwarranted reservations, but I was taken. And I didn’t like it.
“Mr. Jacobs, I’m a straight up type of girl. If there’s anything you want, you’d be best being upfront…you may be surprised,” I murmured.
He grinned, unaffected. There was a short pause by design on my part and then I said, “Good night, Mr. Jacobs.” I started out of the door. He got out on the other side to see me into my car.
“We’ll be in touch,” he spoke with a very firm and confident tone along with a slight nod of his head.
Once I pulled out of the parking lot and knew I was out of sight I screamed madly while slapping my palms against the steering wheel. I’d never been taken out so effortlessly. Azmir was so smooth and organic, didn’t try to impress me but he showed determination. I’d guessed he accomplished his goal, he took me out on a date, something that for most men has been impossible—or unlikely. Whatever it was—it was nice and I could get used to it. I called Michelle and told her all about it. She had been waiting up for the verdict.
“Shelly, the conversation was stimulating from start ‘til finish. He has a strange sense of humor and is intelligent and worldly and apparently well known. In fact, he’s multidimensional because he goes from the boardroom to fraternizing with athletes to even street-like—urban to urbane. There has to be something wrong with him.” I forgot to breathe.
“Don’t start with that shit, Na-Na!” she hissed. “You’re always bringing bad karma to yourself by never being optimistic. Is it that hard to believe that there’s a man on this Earth for you?!” Michelle was in scolding mode and I’d walked right into it with my habitual reservations with men. It was a handicap, self-preservation.
“I know, Shelly.” I sulked knowing she was right but couldn’t shake my protective shell. “It’s just that men are the enemy. They’re always up to no good! Look at my track record, Shelly…think about it!” I whined.
Paying me no mind her ruminative thoughts spilled from her lips, “I wonder what he’s like in bed. Mmmm!” I hated when she drifted into wanton land, somehow always making it about sex. She was a die-hard romantic.
I talked to her all the way home. She was dying to call Britni, who swore that night at Cobalt that Azmir was hers, but I talked Michelle out of it. They all crushed on him that night and after tonight, I could see why. Azmir was extremely intriguing, but no matter what Michelle advised against, I knew I had to protect my heart. It would take more than a mellow evening out on the town for me to lose myself in him. I wasn’t that type of girl, I hadn’t been in so long. I didn’t want to be ever again.
That night I went to bed with Azmir Jacobs Fever and reluctantly loved every moment of it.
The next morning I went to work and about my day as normal. At around nine thirty a.m. I got a page from Sharon. “Ms. Brimm, a delivery just came for you.”
“I’ll be right out to get it once I’m done with Mr. Peters. Thanks,” I replied. I had a great disposition. Similar to the day before, I operated with a little more zest than usual. I didn’t even think of what to attribute it to, I just basked in it.
When I walked Mr. Peters out I asked Sharon to set his next appointment. After bidding him a good day and reminding him to take it easy for the next few days, Sharon handed me a FedEx package and I walked into my office to open it. I had a ten fifteen conference call with the bosses that I didn’t want to be late for. After dialing into the call, I put the phone on speaker, then muted the call and started to open the package. Removing the postal package, I settled on a thick square box and read the graphics. I couldn’t believe it. It was an iPhone5! I almost screamed. I did scream under my breath. The call was muted so there was just a one-way sound but I didn’t want to alarm the office. I couldn’t believe he’d schemed it up so quickly.
I spent the next hour on the call contemplating my next move with Azmir. Suddenly, I wanted to play the game with him. I had to respond strategically, I’d never experienced this before and wanted my next move to be well calculated. I paged Sharon asking her the time of my next appointment and she told me I had no more until after lunch. Miracle of all miracles. I’d thought that was the case but needed to confirm.
I called over to the recreation center and asked for Azmir. I was transferred and put on hold a hundred times. Finally, I was put through to his receptionist. Nasally she informed, “Mr. Jacobs is unavailable right now. May I take a message?”
I had to think quickly. “I was wondering if it’s too late to make an appointment to see him. Does he have an opening today?” I damn-near begged.
“What’s this appointment in reference to, ma’am?”
Think…think, Rayna…think!
“My name is Rayna Brimm. I’m the office administrator of the Smith, Katz & Adams Sports Medicine practice next door. Mr. Jacobs asked me to meet with him regarding a few changes in the leasing contract as soon as possible,” I lied. That’s what desperate people do.
“It seems to me that this meeting would require his attorneys and accountants. I would have to schedule it for two weeks out to include them—” she attempted.
I cut her off, “He specifically said that we’d determine who’d need to be there by the changes agreed upon. This would be a preliminary conference.”
She paused for a while, obviously annoyed, before saying, “How long do you foresee this meeting being?”
Yes!
“…thirty minutes…forty-five minutes tops.” I felt immense relief. I could tell she was going to grant my request.
“I can only offer eleven forty-five until a quarter after. He has a business luncheon at one p.m. that he has to travel to. Can I have your name again?”
After I hung up the phone, I went to the front desk and told Sharon that I’d be back after one p.m. but in enough time for my next patient. I went to Barnes & Noble and then to the local market. At eleven forty p.m., I was at Azmir’s office waiting to see him, sitting across from his receptionist who was acting like a damn watchdog. She was an older Caucasian woman with the palest skin tone who wore a knitted cape, an aged up-do, white framed butterfly glasses, and red lipstick as pale as she was. She was so cold and her venom was exclusive. I knew this because when others either walked in for assistance or called to set an appointment with Azmir she was a little more pleasant than she was with me.
The waiting area was nicely laid out. Just like the facility, the décor was well thought through with warm colors and artistic design. It was comfortable yet professional. The smooth music on the P.A. was either R&B or jazz. I know because I observed and made a note of every last song.
This was taking too long. I couldn’t take another minute, sharing the same air as Mrs. Freeze. I looked down to check my watch for the time. It read eleven forty-eight. I looked up to check it against the clock on the
office, that’s when the door to the hall opened and Azmir walked in to the reception area checking the time on his gold pocket watch. Of course, he wasn’t alone. He always had an entourage with him. He was in the middle of a conversation with the group. Once again, he was another person. In this moment he was the mogul. His tone, the substance of his conversation, even his posture was different. He was still sexy, though, causing me to hold my breath. He walked over to his receptionist without noticing me. He exchanged a few words with her about his schedule, which led her to mention my presence.
“Okay Mr. Jacobs, but your eleven forty-five is here. She’s from one of the units next door and said you asked her to set up an appointment with you right away. It seemed “urgent” so I put her in this time slot. I apologize for booking just before your luncheon engagement but again, she came across exigent.”
All eyes turned to me. It seemed to have happened in slow motion. Azmir asked, “Who?” as if he meant whoever it was had told a lie. I could have melted in my seat. She was trying to play me and in my face.
Once his adoring eyes fell upon me, he slowly flashed that coochie creaming smile. My heart fluttered. It was as if only the two of us were in the room. I squirmed in my seat conjuring inappropriate thoughts of this man.
He said, “Peggy, I apologize for this, Ms. Brimm is from Smith, Katz & Adams Sports Medicine next door.”
“So she said,” Old Peg remarked.
Everyone snickered except for me. Okay, I’m sure that’s a stretch, but it seemed as though the whole world was laughing at me. Even Azmir had to take a minute so that he wouldn’t add fuel to the fire by laughing. I shot her the coldest gaze. She seemed unfazed by it as she looked at me over her glasses.
“Tom and Katherine, we’ll continue this conversation tomorrow before we go into that conference room. If we don’t have it together on our end they’ll see right through us and god only knows the next time we’d have an opportunity to work with them again. Okay?” Azmir ordered dismissing the handlers and then he threw a cursory glance Peggy’s way and said, “Hold all calls, please.”
His eyes landed over at me and visibly softened, “After you,” motioning me into his office with a knowing smile.
As I walked past him and got a waft of his cologne, I tripped over my feet from being that quickly caught up. Such a klutz, adding to my discomfiture. His scent mesmerized me and sent me on an erotic trip making my nipples sting. Whatever he was wearing was working well with his natural body oils.
After he walked in behind me and closed the door, he bellied over laughing. I grew embarrassed. Azmir never laughed!
“What are you laughing at?” My tone was clipped.
He took a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, Rayna. It’s just that Ms. Peggy was coming for you. She was all over you out there.” He continued to laugh and I had to admit it was infectious. It was good to see him relaxed in formal business attire.
“It took everything out of me not to break loose on that Rottweiler out there! What was up with her?” I cried, resolved to my defeat with Old Lady Peg.
“She knows,” he said trying to come down from his mirth. Minus the cause, I was enjoying the view. Azmir was absolutely beautiful, I wondered if he knew.
“Knows? Knows what?” I asked still feeling the sting.
“What did you say to her about meeting with me?”
“I lied. I told her who I was and that you asked me to call to set up a meeting with you to discuss my leasing contract. She threw all types of darts my way but I was persistent. A woman is trying to surprise you and that wench is making it hard,” I exclaimed.
“Wow! You were trying to surprise me?” he said wiping the smile off his face as if the sentiment itself had surprised him.
“Answer my question first. What did she know?” I wasn’t prepared to change the subject.
“She knew you were running game. And I bet when she saw you she knew her inclinations were correct.”
I must have looked even more puzzled because he continued. “I had her order your flowers the other day, I’m sure that led her to know there was something going on. If not for that, you would’ve never made it past her desk. Why didn’t you just call me directly?” Azmir’s eyebrows furrowed as he pushed his tongue into his molars, I guess it was his turn to be puzzled.
Crap! “I don’t have your number.”
“I texted myself from your phone last night. My number is in your phone. Not to mention I wrote it down on the napkin a few days ago in the cafe.” I didn’t realize that’s what he was doing when he examining my phone.
“Oh…I didn’t think about that.” I crunched my eyebrows together pondering that realization. “Well, that’s what brings me here. I want to say thank you for the iPhone. You didn’t have to do that.” I tried concealing the fact that I was impressed. Really impressed. But I was also uncomfortable with his generosity. Very uncomfortable.
“How did you know who my carrier is?”
He relaxed his lean body against the side of his sofa there in his massive office that included two sitting rooms, one with a long sofa across from two sofa chairs and in the other was a small conference table. On the other side of the office was his large desk piled with the fittings of a busy man. His stature against it oozed sex and I fought hard as hell to resist the implication of it all. I knew he wasn’t trying to tempt me purposely but that was precisely what turned me on. Azmir was so fucking hot.
“Remember…you let me see your phone at the Staples Center.” he jeered. I guess I didn’t realize how busy he was with my phone last night. After a second, he dismissed the notion with, “Oh, nah…it’s all good. Glad you got it.”
“Yes, and I wanted to say thank you. And to show that I had such a good time last night I’ve come with gifts.” I pulled out a Barnes & Noble bag and handed it over to him. I was nervous and even had the shaky hand syndrome as he pulled the book out and read the title, “Date Out of Your League” by April Masini? And to what do I owe the pleasure of this insightful read?” he asked feigning offended.
“Welllllllll…” I sang in jest, “…in the spirit of a good date I thought that I could help you step up your game,” I teased trying to suppress the laughter building in my belly. I’d had some nerve, but it was fun.
He crossed the office, walked between the two chairs facing his desk, placing the book down and rested against it while crossing his lengthy legs and folding his arms, “You know, the funny thing is you keep referring to last night as if it was my best or the height of my game. Girl, you ain’t seen nothing. Yet.”
He paused and we locked eyes as our thoughts ran us into a reverie. And in that brief time I could tell he wanted me to understand that he was interested in going out again, for what I didn’t quite know. The look in his mesmeric eyes stapled me in my stance, it uncovered layers of debris that I didn’t realize I’d had and neither did I want to know. I wanted to fuck him so bad and not only because he was so sexable, but for reasons that I’d never experienced and found difficult to articulate. The silence made me want to jump on him right then, thereby making me uncomfortable. I can’t believe this man has me so out of character. No one had ever turned me on so effortlessly and that troubled me. I couldn’t slip, didn’t want to lose my dignity. Fairytales weren’t my thing. Whatever slope I was slipping on had to stop.
I decided to start the intro to my departure, and as weak as it was it had to work. “I don’t want to hold you up. Ms. Peggy said you have a luncheon that you cannot be late for. Besides I need to have lunch before my next client.” I gave a rueful smile and began walking towards the door.
“Wait a minute,” he called out, his tone was calm but the nature commanding. I stopped and turned to him. “I thought you said you came bearing gifts, as in plural…?”
“Oh! I did.” I put my briefcase on the conference table near the door. I’d gotten so distracted that I forgot my script. I reached into my briefcase to pull out a long stem pink rose.
With a b
elly full of butterflies I spoke, “You know they say pink roses symbolize “Thank you” and a single rose symbolizes simplicity and gratitude. That’s my sentiment.”
I walked over and handed it to him. Azmir gave me that intense gaze again sending currents down my spine. I had to maintain my composure; showing too much gratitude and emotion was for the weak and I’m no weakling. I ambled back over to my briefcase, closed it, and left his office.
I knew he was staring at my booty. I could feel the burn from the gape.
Chapter 6
Azmir
Bizarre of all things inexplicable, this Rayna had me going a little. She was fine as hell, bright, and her body was unbelievably amazing. She seemed so low maintenance and down to Earth. She didn’t bombard me with questions or pry into my personal life. Hell—she made me want to do that to her. She was mysterious. I guess I was really on the chase.
I ran into her one day in the cafe at the rec and she looked so focused on finding a house. I just stopped in to say hello but after having a brief encounter with her, I had to try my hand. There was something mysterious about this woman. I was surprised that she agreed to the date—not that I get turned down a lot, but she was different—she wasn’t all up in my face or flirting like other women. During our time out, we hit it off fairly well. I felt so uninhibited with her like I could say anything. And though I’m not about revealing to any woman my inner most feelings or anything like that, it was somewhat like being with one of my dudes—there was no pressure.
I didn’t want to come off too strong or ostentatious so I took her to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a considerably moderate restaurant. My intention wasn’t to sweep her off her feet but to get to know her. I found her intriguing. Initially I had no plans beyond that because I didn’t know how well it would work out. But when I realized she was engaging I decided to extend the night and took her to see my Lakers. She quickly had become so wrapped up in the game. When she told me she’d never been to a live game, I was shocked. She even said she’d never explored Beverly Hills or taken the tour of L.A. My work was cut out for me. If I wanted to get somewhere with her I knew where to start.