A Champion's Proposal

by Tina Martin

  “Ooh…you must’ve drawn the short end of the stick, eh bud?”

  Bud? I ain’t your bud. Just ring up my items so I can get out of here.

  “It’s for my girlfriend. She’s not feeling well, obviously.”

  “Well, isn’t that noble of you?”

  The nosey cashier scanned the tampons. “You can save fifty cents on these if you have a saver’s card.”

  “I don’t have a card, man. Just ring it up.”

  “You got it.”

  The cashier scanned the Advil then asked, “Whoa, aren’t you missing something?”

  “No.”

  “I beg to differ.” He left the register and walked around to the candy stand, taking a Hershey bar and scanning it without getting Mordecai’s approval to do so.

  Mordecai smirked. “Thanks.” He knew all too well about women’s hormones and cravings during that time of the month. Maybe Jemisha could use a candy bar or two to satisfy her need for sugar and a better, improved mood.

  He swiped his credit card then walked back down the street towards her building. He climbed the stairs up to the second floor, walked to the home base of Rayford Real Estate and with a cocky stroll, he walked up to her desk and lowered the flimsy, plastic bag there, right on top of an MLS listing she was reviewing.

  She looked up, anger arching her well-manicured brows. “What’s this?”

  “You said you needed some tampons. I bought you some tampons.”

  “Are you—?” She looked inside the bag. To her disbelief, there were tampons, some Advil and a Hershey bar.”

  “You—you bought some tampons?” she asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.

  “I did. I also got you some Advil for the abdominal discomfort. It was the clerk who suggested the Hershey bar.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You think you’re soo funny, don’t you?”

  “Not at all. I’m just helping you do your job. You owe me a house showing. You’re a professional woman, right? A woman of your word?”

  Jemisha closed her eyes and dropped her head in her hands. This can’t be happening, she told herself. Can’t be. The last thing she expected Mordecai to do was buy her some feminine hygiene products. It was somewhat embarrassing for her, especially since she didn’t even need them. She’d just told him that hoping to get rid of him. Why was he so comfortable buying tampons, anyway? And he didn’t get the cheap ones. He got the good ones – a brand she purchased regularly. Any other man would’ve run for the hills after hearing ‘period’. He didn’t run – he actually helped her. Now, he was sitting here, in front of her desk.

  “Look, if you need some time to get yourself together, I can come back tomo—”

  “No,” she said, cutting him off. She couldn’t stomach him here now, so she definitely couldn’t fathom having to see him again tomorrow. “Let me get my purse. I’ll show you the house.”

  “No. You know what—nevermind. Why don’t you relax today, take some medicine and—”

  “I’m fin—” She stopped short of saying fine. Again. “We can go. Just let me—um—be right back.”

  Mordecai waited for a moment while she took her purse and the bag he’d given her into the bathroom. Why did she look so irritated? He thought he went out of his way to offer her some assistance and couldn’t get as much as a thank you. For a woman who desperately needed a sale, she was acting like she didn’t need a thing. He was clearly an irritant to her. He could see that even more when she came out of the bathroom and barked that he follow her to the house. She’d locked up the office and walked swiftly down the hallway in her heels.

  “I could ride with you over there,” he suggested just to see if she’d agree.

  “No. I have somewhere to be right after, so that won’t work.” She opened the door to the stairwell.

  “You’re not coming back to the office?”

  “No. I just said I had somewhere to be. Do you want to see the house or not?” she asked, navigating the cement stairs.

  Mordecai kept a cool head about her obvious attitude. Her insane behavior yesterday and the attitude today was nothing short of a cry for help. That, combined with her cycle didn’t make for a good day for her. He’d keep that in mind at the showing.

  * * *

  At the Arboretum house, Mordecai took his time examining the house. A two-level rust-colored brick home. White trim. Black shutters. A two-car garage. Plenty of yard space. Plenty. The landscaping was impeccable. Trimmed hedges. Bright green, thick grass. It wasn’t close to the street – set back off the road. That was a huge plus for him.

  Jemisha parked.

  He parked directly behind her on the cement-paved driveway. It was intentional.

  She got out of the car and hitting the ground running, she said, “Alright, so being that we were just here yesterday, I don’t need to go over everything again.”

  “Actually, you do. Let’s take this one step at a time. This could be my dream home. I don’t want to rush it, sweetie.”

  He saw the moment her lips quivered when he called her sweetie. She hated it, but there was no use in her telling him to be professional. No, not after he’d bought her tampons.

  She turned to walk to the front door. After unlocking it, she stepped inside, explaining aspects of the grand, double foyer. She asked him what he thought about it while staring down at a clipboard.

  “It’s nice.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say about this foyer?”

  “No. I just wanted to see your reaction.” He cracked a smile. “It’s an incredible entrance into the home.”

  She nodded, then told him about the floors, the sunroom and screened-in terrace. He thought both were nice touches to this place – good for entertaining. The kitchen had top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. He remembered that from yesterday but could fully appreciate it today, along with the size of the kitchen and it’s beautiful granite countertops. It was attached to a spacious family room.

  “How many bedrooms again? Four?”

  “Yes. There’s an extra room on the other side of the living room that could be a fifth, or an office, workout room or whatever. Come on. I’ll show you.”

  He followed her there and couldn’t help but wonder how she was feeling. She had said she was starting her period and he knew from his sisters how draining and painful that time of the month could be.

  “Here it is. It’s a nice space. I like the windows here, too. You can see into the front yard and it provides a lot of natural light.”

  “It does. It would make a great office space.”

  Jemisha nodded.

  “While we’re on the subject of offices,” he said, “Why aren’t you running your company out of your home? You’ll save a lot of money that way.”

  “I thought about it, but I can’t have clients meeting me at my house. That’s a lil’ tacky.”

  “Then do like everybody else who’s just starting out and meet at a coffee shop or Panera Bread. Do you know how many people work out of Panera Bread on any given day? It’s like an office space that only costs the price of a coffee and a bagel.”

  Jemisha grinned. She hadn’t considered that. Maybe muscle man had a point. “It doesn’t matter anyway, now. I’ve already signed a lease.”

  He shrugged. “So what? You act like you can’t break it.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t go breaking leases all casually. Some people take commitment seriously, Mordecai.”

  “Are you implying I’m not one of those people?”

  “Let’s just focus on the house. Would you like to see the bedrooms again?”

  He gestured for her to walk ahead of him. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

  “I’ll live. Thanks for asking.” At the top of the stairs, she went to the master bedroom first. “This bedroom is enormous. The ensuite bathroom is lovely. It has a double vanity and a corner garden Jacuzzi tub as well as a separate shower. And over here, there’s a huge walk-in closet.”


  “One of the houses you showed me had two closets.”

  “Yeah, but this one is a great size, and it’s still sufficient for you and your wife’s clothes.”

  Mordecai was tempted to ask about her finger, but she was on a mission today – show him the house and do it as quickly as possible. He glanced at her hand. He wanted to take off the Band-aid and inspect it for himself.

  “Mordecai?”

  He blinked. “Yes?”

  “What do you think about the closet?”

  He looked around again. “You’re right. It’s big enough to share with a woman, I suppose.”

  She walked him to the final three bedrooms and after, they met back in the living room where she said, “Now that you’ve seen the house in its entirety, give me the good and the bad.”

  Mordecai crossed his arms. “I like the house.”

  “Why?”

  “It has everything I want, especially privacy. The front yard is just as big as the back. There’s plenty of room for entertaining. The bedrooms are a nice size. The master bedroom is huge as well as the closet. I think it’s a winner. What’s the list price on this one again?”

  “Six-hundred and fifty thousand. With a little negotiating, I may be able to get that down to six forty-five depending on how eager the seller is to get this place sold, but you also have to remember this is prime Wilmington real estate. It’s only a hop, skip and a jump from Wrightsville Beach.”

  “Are there any other offers on the property right now?”

  “No. You would be the only one if you decided to make an offer today.”

  “Okay. Write it up.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t want to look at any more houses?”

  “Why would I continue looking when I think I’ve found the one? Isn’t that how it works?”

  “Yes,” Jemisha responded blandly.

  Mordecai thought she’d be a little more excited at the potential of getting a commission for the sale of a house at this price.

  “How much would you like to offer?” she asked.

  “I’ll go with your suggestion of six-forty five. If you write it up today, how soon can I hear something back?”

  “I’ll say give it a day or two.”

  “Okay. We’re finally getting somewhere.”

  “Looks that way.”

  He extended his hand to shake hers. Jemisha paused for a moment but extended her hand to his, and when their hands connected, he felt an electric spark. A warmth. A closeness. It all caught him by surprise, but should it have? He’d liked her from the beginning. Even after seeing her at her worst, that hadn’t been enough to run him off. He had a longing to be close to her. To help her. Jemisha wasn’t just some woman he was after. She was a woman he liked and could envision a future with.

  Jemisha glanced up at him when he seemed uninterested in letting her hand go. He looked like he wanted to say something – like something other than this house and the offer he was about to make on it was on his mind. Either way, she needed her hand back before she melted under the heat of his touch. Too much testosterone exposure was making her legs weak. Staring into his eyes was making her whole body cave. She hoped he hadn’t noticed his effect on her.

  “Thank you for all of your help, Jemisha,” he said, finally releasing her. “I’ll let you get back to whatever you’re in a hurry to get back to now.”

  “Okay. I’ll be in touch.”

  Chapter 14

  Two Days Later

  Mordecai waited patiently for two days and hadn’t received any type of communication from Jemisha. Did he get the house? He was sure the Arboretum house was the house that would make his dream of homeownership a reality. The house spoke to him. In his mind, it was already his home. He just needed confirmation of that, but where was Jemisha?

  Sitting at his desk in the gym office, he called her cell and left a brief message after the call had gone to voicemail. Then he sent a text and finally typed an email:

  From: Mordecai Champion

  To: Rayford Real Estate

  Subject: Offer

  Good morning,

  Have you heard anything back from the seller? Let me know at your earliest.

  Thanks.

  __________

  He leaned back in his chair. Something about this process didn’t feel right. He knew home-buying was no walk in the park but it should’ve been better than this. Where was she with the updates on the property?

  “Ay, man—got a customer asking for you,” Davante said standing at the door. “And let me be the first to tell you—she’s hot. You’re one lucky man dawg.”

  “Tell her I’ll be right there.”

  Mordecai checked his phone to see if he had a text from Jemisha, but he hadn’t.

  He sighed and stood up, stretching and flexing his muscles. He’d gotten to the gym for an early morning workout – same as the three days prior, burning off frustration. He sauntered to the front to see the woman waiting for him. He’d seen her at the gym before but didn’t have any interaction with her. She had on a pair of black, high-waisted leggings and a green sports bra. Her hair was in a ponytail. Pretty woman.

  She flashed a brilliant smile.

  He forced a smile back.

  Davante watched this exchange.

  “Hi. How can I help you?” Mordecai asked the woman.

  “Yeah, um a little birdie told me you own this place,” she said then nibbled on her lip.

  “Yes, I do. How can I help you?”

  “I was curious about something—I’m looking to get toned,” she said rubbing a hand across her already flat abs. “I heard you were the best trainer around.”

  “You heard right, but I’m not accepting clients at this time. I have three trainers on staff who should be able to accommodate you. I can check to see if one of them has an opening.”

  “Ah, that’s too bad. I was really hoping we could get to know each other.”

  Mordecai looked at the woman sideways. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

  “It’s Cedes.”

  His eyes lowered. “You said, Cedes?”

  “Yes, like Mercedes but without the ‘Mer’.”

  “Okay, well, as I said I can connect you with a trainer, but I’m not available.”

  “If you’re not available, I guess I don’t need a trainer. Toodles,” she said, then walked away with a gym bag.

  Mordecai shook his head. It hadn’t surprised him how forthcoming women were but while he easily tolerated that behavior in the past, it was a nuisance to him now, especially since he only had one woman on his radar.

  “I can’t believe what I just witnessed,” Davante said.

  Mordecai snickered. “What you talking about, man?”

  “You let her walk away. Her! She was literally handing you the keys, and you turned her down.”

  “I’m not about that life anymore, D.”

  “What other life is there?” Davante asked, then laughed.

  “There’s more to life than chasing women and partying.”

  “Nah…wait…I know what’s going on. You got a girl, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t,” he responded because technically, he didn’t have the girl just yet. He wanted her, but so far, the circumstances weren’t working in his favor.

  “You do,” Davante told him. “Have to, ‘cause there’s no way you would’ve let that girl walk if you didn’t. Now the question is, who is she? Who’s this mystery woman that’s got my boy sprung?”

  Mordecai shook his head. It was no use trying to explain anything to Davante. He had a one-track mind, but he also knew how Mordecai was, so it wasn’t surprising that he found his new lifestyle a shocker coming from where they both had come from. “I gotta run. Call me if anything urgent comes up.”

  “A’ight, man. Tell the mystery woman I said hi because I know there’s one.”

  Mordecai kept on walking until he reached the parking lot. He only had one
destination in mind – Rayford Real Estate. He couldn’t reach her by phone. Fine. He’d just drive to her office. He would reach her one way or another.

  He climbed the stairs to the second floor where saw Jemisha talking to a man in the hallway right outside of her office. The man sounded upset. In a raised tone he was saying:

  “There’re plenty other tenants who want to lease this spot. If I don’t get the money you owe for last month by the fifteenth, you’re outta here. I don’t know how y’all operate in South Carolina but ‘round here, we don’t play around with our money.”

  “I’ll get you the money,” Jemisha said. “I promise.”

  Mordecai took a step back around the corner so Jemisha and the man she was talking to couldn’t see him. She must’ve been under a tremendous amount of stress with this man breathing down her back for rent money.

  After the man passed him in the hallway, he continued on to Jemisha’s office. She was sitting at her desk with her head lowered, resting on clenched fists. Had she even heard him come in?

  “Ahem,” he said clearing his throat.

  Her head sprung up, eyes weary and nearly bloodshot. She cleared her throat and fixed her hair. “Uh…Mordecai, what are you doing here?”

  “I tried calling, texting and emailing—since I couldn’t get ahold of you, here I am.”

  Yep, here he was, wearing a gray tank top that showed off his muscles – chest and arms. His face alone was enough to turn heads but the added muscles were enough to make women nearly break their necks. The thickness of his shoulders had her eyes dipping and rising like a rollercoaster following the ridges and definition of them. And the shorts…

  He wore a pair of loose navy blue gym shorts that came down to his knees. She could see the hair on his legs – the muscles of his calves. Then there was his smell…

  Had he taken a shower right before heading over to see her? He smelled like soap and the overwhelming scent of pure male. It all claimed her office space. All of it. All of him.

  “What do you want?” she asked.