by Tina Martin
“For what?” he asked as if he hadn’t known.
“You know…the roses.”
“What roses? Some random guy is sending my wife roses?”
She giggled. “You’re funny.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad you liked them, sweetheart. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been busy today.”
“I was wondering why I didn’t get a call or anything. You sneak out in the middle of the night after putting that thang on me then vanishing off into the world of Jemisha…forgot all about lil’ ol’ me.”
“Now you’re making me feel bad.”
“Well, stop sneaking out of a brother, then.”
“I didn’t sneak out. I knew I had to get up early to meet some clients. Besides, you were knocked out.”
“Yeah. I was. Good loving will do that to a brother.”
The line went quiet as she thought about the night they’d had. It had been indeed, a good night. Was Mordecai impressed by the likes of her?
“What are you doing later?” he asked.
“Not sure yet. Why?”
“I was wondering if you could come over and help me pack some boxes.”
Her laughter filled the line. “You’re inviting me to your house under the guise of needing help with packing boxes?”
“A’ight. You got me. I want you over here because I want you over here. Can you come through?”
“Maybe…I’ll have to see how early I can finish up here before I help you pack some boxes…”
“That doesn’t sound definitive. I like definitive answers, Mrs. Champion.”
“And I don’t like being pressured, Mr. Champion.”
“I got some pressure for you alright…”
You certainly do, she thought to herself. “I’ll call you when I’m almost done here.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting for your call. Oh, and are we still on schedule for the closing on Friday?”
“Yes. So far so good.” The line beeped. She looked at her phone to see Savannah was calling. “Mordecai, I have Savannah on the other line. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
She clicked over. “Hey, Savannah.”
“Don’t hey me. What in the world is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, now you want to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
Jemisha chuckled. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“So getting married behind my back doesn’t set off any bells? Ding, ding, ding!”
“How did you—?”
“Mordecai done called and told Harding everything. Said y’all got married.”
“Don’t act surprised when you were an advocate for me to do it.”
“Telling you to do it and you actually doing it is taking it to another level. Wow! You’re my sister-in-law now.”
“Not so fast. I’m your temporary sister-in-law until this house deal is squared away. Mordecai isn’t looking for anything long term. You know this.”
“Well, he doesn’t have to look for anything any longer since he has you.”
“Savannah, don’t put a lot of stock in this. I’m trying to tell you…it isn’t what you think it is.”
“I think it’s that and a lot more. That’s why you kept it from me.”
“Oh, jeez…”
“Anyway, I gotta go feed Harley. You’ll know what that’s like soon. I predict you and Mordecai will have plenty of babies. And our babies are going to be cousins!” she sang. “That’ll be so cool.”
“Bye, Savannah.”
“Wait,” Savannah said. “Don’t mess this up for us.”
“Bye, Savannah!”
Chapter 29
Jemisha called Mordecai to let him know she had a late showing and was exhausted. He wanted to see her, so he showed up at her place with dinner around 8:00 p.m.
And he brought wine.
And conversation.
And smooth words.
Undeniable swagger.
And…
After dinner was over, she sat staring at him. He sat staring at her.
“I’m stuffed,” she said.
“Then drop and give me fifty.”
Jemisha’s brows raised. “What?”
“You heard me. Drop and give me fifty. Imma need you to be a lil’ loose for what I’m about to do to you.”
Her cheeks reddened. “How do you know I don’t need you to be loose?”
“Oh. Okay. I got you,” Mordecai said wiping his hands. He got down on the kitchen floor and began doing pushups. She’d lost track after he hit thirty.
“This is too easy for you. Let me make it a little more challenging.” She stood up then after straddling him, she leaned down so she was lying on his back. She whispered, “Now let’s see you do fifty.”
He laughed. “Oh, you’re going to add extra weight and you want me to start over.”
“Yep.”
“No problem,” he said moving up and down faster than before she was lying on his back. That’s how strong he was.
Jemisha closed her eyes and submerged into the feeling of his warmth. His strength. His smell that she was getting used to.
“There,” he said, lowering himself to the floor while she was still on his back.
“Mmm,” she said, losing herself. Drowning in everything that was him.
“What you doing on my back, girl? Going to sleep?”
“No. I’m zenning out. I’m so relaxed right now. Who would’ve ever thought you would be my source of peace and solace?”
Mordecai rotated his body so she was lying face up on the floor. He then shifted his body so he was lying on top of her. He could tell from the glaze in her eyes that she wanted him and he wanted her with an intensity that made his bones ache.
There were no words left to be spoken. Only actions to be made.
He lowered his mouth to hers, took tender kisses. Sweet ones. Ones that made her moan deeply. And when he slid his hand up her blouse, her stomach quivered beneath his fingers. He pulled the shirt up over her head, nibbling on her earlobe before kissing her neck. And then he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her softly again.
“You do realize we’re on the floor, right?” he asked.
“Yes. You do realize you’re still fully clothed, right?”
He smiled. He wasn’t sure where this playful, naughty side of her was coming from but he liked it.
“I can fix that,” he said, coming up on his haunches to pull his shirt up over his head. He undid the button of his slacks, eased out of his pants and boxers then removed her jeans before lowering his body to meet hers again.
“Is that better?” he asked.
She smiled, wrapping her hand around his neck, lifting her from the floor to meet his lips. She longed for them, was growing accustomed to the taste and feel of his body on hers. Everything about him infiltrated her mind – told her that he was the one – her one and this connection they shared was real. Her defenses were all the way down.
His alluring eyes drew her in. His tongue mating with hers was as scrumptious as anything she ever tasted. And he kissed her like his tongue had more muscles than everything else in his body.
He broke the kiss to gaze into her eyes when he settled into place, connecting their bodies slowly, watching the expression on her face as he sank deeper.
And they made love until their bodies shuddered until it became difficult to breathe. Until they were covered and dripping with sweat and satisfaction.
* * *
It was Mordecai who after they’d made love again – in bed this time – got up early to leave for work. Shortly after arriving at the gym, he sent Jemisha a text message:
Good morning, wife. Call me later.
-Mordecai
That’s all it said, and it was enough to make Jemisha smile.
Instead of calling, she had a better idea of surprising him with lunch. She stopped by The
Rebellion and ordered his favorite burger with fries. She got the same for herself.
Pulling up in the parking lot of his gym, she found a space at the front, took the takeout bag from the passenger seat and strutted toward the entrance, eager to see him. She was still on a high where he was concerned, thinking that maybe there was something more they shared. Through the glass window, she’d already laid eyes on him – standing by one of the treadmills talking to a woman – a woman who looked all too eager to be in his face. The woman was smiling and laughing, touching him intermittently. He was smiling, too, and then she pointed to her waist. He looked, seemingly checking the girl out.
Jemisha froze. In her head, she told herself this was his job – shaping bodies and all – helping people, mostly women, lose weight, but to actually see this interaction told her to pump the brakes on whatever she thought they’d had. It was a reminder of the heartbreak she’d experienced with her ex. A reminder of the rules she’d made for herself and broken. A reminder that Mordecai was a player and instead of pretending to be his wife, she should’ve been focusing on the house and getting her finances under control. What was she thinking? That she’d be enough to tame him? To make him change his ways?
Mordecai was in the middle of telling one of his former clients that he was no longer a personal trainer – that she’d have to hire one of his trainers on staff when he glanced out the window and saw Jemisha walking away from the building. She had a bag in her hand. What was she doing here and why wasn’t she coming inside?
“Talk to Davante,” he told the woman. “He’ll assign you to a trainer.”
He rushed out the front doors then jogged across the parking lot to catch up to Jemisha.
“Misha,” he called out but she kept on walking.
When he caught up to her, he touched her arm. “Jemisha?”
“What?” she responded curtly.
“Uh…what are you doing here?”
“I called myself surprising you with lunch, but you’re too busy staring at women’s booties to be thinking about lunch, so—”
He frowned. “I wasn’t staring at anyone.”
She rolled her eyes, kept walking.
“Can you wait a minute?”
“No. I have to get back to the office.”
“Now you gotta get back to the office after you drove all the way over here to not give me lunch?”
“Here,” she said shoving the bag to his torso. “You can have it.”
He didn’t take the bag. He threaded his hands behind his head and tried to make sense of this. “Okay, so calm down for a minute—”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” she screeched.
“Listen—whatever you think you saw isn’t what it was. That woman I was talking to is a client.”
“Yeah. Sure. I gotta go. Do you want this or not?” she asked, holding the bag in front of him.
Mordecai never took his eyes off of her. Screw the bag. Screw everything else. He only wanted her at the moment but she was in such a hurry to leave over a slight misunderstanding. Didn’t want to hear anything he had to say.
When he didn’t take the bag, Jemisha turned away with it, got into her car and drove off. She was too upset to return to the office so she just went home and sat there in the car for a while with the smell of delicious hamburgers she didn’t have the stomach to eat filling her car’s interior. She was mad at herself for not taking her own advice. Men couldn’t be trusted.
She was better off alone. Seemed whenever a man was involved with her life, it ultimately ended with her being hurt.
Chapter 30
Mordecai had been trying to call her. She chose not to answer.
Tuesday.
Wednesday.
Thursday.
No answer and not a word from her. He went by her job a few times. She was out. Went by her house. The car was there but she didn’t answer the door. He knew what her issues were. Knew the woman came with baggage, but he hadn’t done anything to make her distrust him. It was all in her head. He hoped she would realize that, but after three days of no communication, nine times out of ten, she hadn’t.
He sat behind his desk, aching to drive to her office again. A pop-up visit probably wouldn’t be ideal, but she couldn’t just cut him off like this. And what about the house they were supposed to close on tomorrow? Was that deal in jeopardy all because of a misunderstanding?
He sighed heavily. Unable to focus, he knew he had to make contact with her somehow. He called again and when she didn’t answer he sent a text.
Mordecai: Hi. I need to know if the closing is still scheduled for tomorrow.
He waited for a minute and was surprised when she responded:
Jemisha: Yes. My office. 10:00 a.m.
She was intentionally being short with him. That much he could decipher over text messages.
Mordecai: I think we should talk before then
Jemisha: Nothing to talk about. I’ll play the wife role. You play the husband role and after we get all the papers signed, I’ll go my way and you go yours.
Mordecai: Is that what you really want, Jemisha?
It drove him crazy when she didn’t respond. He waited for ten minutes and then,
Jemisha: Yes. It’s for the best.
It’s for the best.
It wasn’t for the best and he wasn’t about to explain why over text messages. She would know why when he would see her in person tomorrow.
Chapter 31
Having already endured enough small talk, Jemisha sat quietly with Joan, the seller’s agent and the closing agent. The sellers were present as well – an old white couple who looked like they were suffering the consequences of extreme sunbathing. They were all sitting around the rectangular table in Jemisha’s office, waiting for Mordecai to arrive.
And arrive he did.
He walked into the room dressed in a black suit like somebody told him he had to be GQ for a house closing. His presence claimed the room, demanding everyone’s attention and he hadn’t said a word.
Jemisha stared at him for a moment then looked away. It was the first time laying eyes on him since Tuesday, the day she saw him at the gym.
“You must be Mr. Champion,” Joan stood up to say, reaching to shake his hand.
Mordecai exchanged a handshake with her, the buyers, his lender and the closing agent. Afterward, he took the seat next to Jemisha.
“Good morning,” he said turning to look at her.
“Morning,” she said just barely maintaining her posture. She kept her head straight. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
Mordecai spoke up to say, “Before we get started, I need to have a word with my wife.”
A word with my wife. Jemisha’s heart raced as her stomach filled with knots.
Worry clouded the sellers’ features.
“You’re not thinking of passing on the house are you?” Joan asked.
“No. I—we—want the house. I just need to speak with her about something first.”
“Okay. Take all the time you need,” Joan said. “We’ll be right here.”
Jemisha hesitated to get up but finally did when all eyes fell on them. Mordecai was causing enough confusion. She didn’t want to contribute to it. She followed him out into the hallway and when the door closed behind them, she asked livid, “What on earth are you doing?”
“How are you, Jemisha?”
“I’ll be a lot better when this is over.”
“Why are you angry with me?”
She crossed her arms. “Why does it matter? Let’s just get this over with. Isn’t that what this is? You want this house. I need the commission? Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking it’s something different.”
“It is something different. I didn’t think it was for you but I was wrong. Your reaction at the gym on Tuesday spoke volumes. Told me how you really felt about me.” He took a breath. “Listen—I’m not trying to draw this out because that’s not my style, so here’s the deal. We can
go back in there, sign those papers and get that house for me, or we can do it for the both of us.”
She looked at him like he was crazy. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I want you to be in this with me, Misha.”
“Unfortunately, I already am.”
He glared at her for a moment, fighting the urge to clamp down on those lips he’d missed kissing. Why did she insist on making this difficult? Trying to reason with her, he said, “Just to clear this up, the woman you saw me with at the gym, was a client—”
“You don’t owe me any explanations,” she interrupted him to say. “You’re a grown, independent, single man.”
“I’m not a single man.”
“You are.”
“I’m not. I’m your husband and I owe you an explanation,” he asserted. That quieted her for the moment. “I wasn’t checking out that woman. I used to be her trainer. I was explaining to her that I wasn’t taking on clients. She was flirting with me, yes, but a lot of women flirt with me. That’s just the way it is. I can’t control anyone’s actions but my own. I referred her to one of my trainers on staff. That’s when I spotted you walking to your car. I’m sorry if you thought something else was going on and I know you have a past that’s been eating away at you for a long time, but if this marriage is going to work, I need you to trust me.”
“You want this marriage to work?”
“Of course I do.”
“Why? I thought you just wanted the house.”
“I want you and the house, Jemisha. I love you.”
She froze. Did he say what she thought he said? After replaying it in her head, she knew he did but she wanted to confirm. “What’d you say?”
“I said I love you. What do you want to do with that information, Jemisha?” he asked, taking a step closer to her? “Over-analyze it to death? Ask me if I’m sure? Question my motives?”