by Lenise Lee
“I remember. You just keep at it, okay? Don’t let people like him,” she paused from her typing to nod in the direction behind me, “distract you from your goal.”
I nodded in agreement and went to pulling up the software programs I would need to work from for the day.
Speaking of distraction, I hadn’t been able to get Josh out of my mind since I last saw him the other day. Not one call. Granted, I changed my number since we were a couple but he could have easily gotten it from Tyler or Jeanette. I had forgotten how good his voice always sounded. A nice even bass, like smooth jazz to my ears. I wasn’t sure if it were my imagination or not but Joshua definitely seemed bigger and more conditioned from last I saw him.
The buzzing of my cell phone in the bag on the floor next to me diverted my thoughts. Sneaking a look behind me, I saw Mr. Bank was near his window. By the flailing of his long arms and the intensity on his face, I knew he would not notice me taking a quick personal call. Knowing him, he was probably having another fall out with any one of his parade of mistresses. I felt sorry for his wife; she must be a sad and lonely woman to want to put up with the likes of him. I know Carmen wouldn’t mind as long as I kept it quick. Scanning the caller ID as I pushed the mute button on the side to end the vibrations, I flipped the phone open and ducked closer to the desk. Maybe if Mr. Bank did look this way, he would think I was on the office phone.
“Hello?” I answered in a hushed tone.
“Hey, girl.”
It was Jeanette and she sounded very refreshed.
“Hey, make it quick. My demon boss is here and he is not in a good mood.”
“Okay, sorry,” she lowered her voice as if she was here and he was trying to listen in on our conversation.
“What’s up?”
“Drinks tonight? Please say ‘yes’, it feels like we haven’t had a girls night out in weeks.”
“Um, okay. Where at?”
“How about that Irish pub on sixty-seventh?”
“Yeah, what time?”
I happened to glance up and Carmen was giving me the eye so I knew my time was winding down.
“Seven-thirty and wear something sexy.”
“Sexy?”
The call ended and I was left shaking my head in disbelief.
Chapter 6
By 7:45 PM, I was stuck on Broad Street in a cab with a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. There was something in Jeanette’s voice earlier and it worried me. Despite the anxiety I was feeling, she was right about not having much fun lately. Working full-time during the day and then taking classes three evenings a week for the last year was becoming a bit overwhelming. Now, with Tyler and Jeanette’s impending nuptials, going with her to pick out cakes, dresses, place settings, invitations, and the list goes on and on, I was at the point I thought I may have to scream just let out the pent up tension.
Going on a sudden urge, I decided to give in to Jeanette’s suggestion for this evening’s attire. I had yet to show off my sleek new body, courtesy of weeknights on the treadmill and weekends jogging around the park. I picked up this ensemble on sale at a local boutique and was waiting for an excuse to pull it out of the closet. It was a short sleeved plum colored dress that stopped about four inches above the knee. The cut of the dress was form fitting, and the cotton-spandex blend hugged by curves just right. The cleavage area had section of black lace across it with a slight dip in the middle to reveal just the right amount of mocha colored ta-tas. The dress came with a matching belt and it only added to cut of my waist. Not wanting to overdo the look, I settled for a pair of simple black pumps with a nice three-inch heel. I wore a light plum lip color similar to my dress for added effect. After having washed and flat ironed my hair earlier, I decided to go for a more mature look and allowed the dark tresses to frame my face with a slight bump on the ends.
Finally arriving at my destination, exactly one hour after I first called the cab company, I paid the driver, wished him a good evening and walked in to the pub. Despite the name, the environment was actually quite trendy. The immediate front was the bar area; however, there was a section in the back for dining, and a nice size paneled floor next to that for dancing. The rear of the dance floor had a stage area. I supposed it was for house bands to perform on or maybe a weekly karaoke night.
I spotted Jeanette at the crowded bar area. She stood up to wave me over. Her tall frame was wearing a strapless off white cocktail dress. She had her hair pulled up in a sleek French twist and with the light make-up she wore, she looked fabulous.
I walked over to where she was sitting and hugged her. The minute I pulled back, I spotted Tyler in the seat next to her and Josh at the one after that.
“Girl’s night out?” I looked at her quizzically.
“What?” She smirked.
“What’s he doing here?”
“Well, when I told Tyler we were going out, he immediately wanted to come with us. I couldn’t say ‘no’, he was making that sad face and I just gave in.”
I continued to stare at her blankly so she continued on with the story.
“Then, he started going on and on about how Josh was here and he hadn’t hung with his buddy in so long and he practically begged me to invite him too.”
“So, you did. Just like that, you betray me.”
She pulled at my arm jokingly, trying to lighten my suddenly downcast mood.
“Kerine,” she sang my name, “we use to all have so much fun together. Can’t we do that again for one more night? Please?”
She pouted and, against my better judgment of doing an about face and sauntering out of there with my head held high, I relented. I was about to scoot up on the open stool next to her when she held her hand out.
“Oh, no, you can’t sit there.” She practically knocked me away from the space.
“Why not?”
She was already on thin ice with me and I was not in the mood for games.
“There’s already somebody there.”
“So what? I don’t see any name places.”
“Keri, trust me. This guy was huge. One of the types we don’t want to have any problems with.”
As uptight as I was feeling, whoever this guy was would do better not to give me any hassle. Still, I didn’t want the others to have to have any encounters with the authorities tonight due to my foul mood.
“I think there’s a vacant one next to Josh. Besides, we’re going to have dinner, too. The owner said it shouldn’t be more than another twenty minutes or so.”
She smiled hopefully. I glanced over her shoulder at the men, who had gone back to their own conversation. Josh made distorted faces as he mouthed something to Tyler. Tyler was facing the opposite direction from me so I could not make out his expresses but he kept motioning his hand as if he were trying to calm Josh.
My eyes went straight to the blackened sealing overhead. Another silent prayer followed right behind.
The closer I moved to the men, the quieter their voices became. I happened to catch Tyler’s last sentence before all went silent.
“Josh, just relax, okay, man?”
The moment I came into Tyler’s peripheral vision, he stood and offered me a quick hug, which I returned.
“Hey, Keri. Glad you made it.”
“Sorry I was late. You know the traffic around this time and its Friday, too.”
“It’s fine, we just arrived here ourselves. Have a seat.”
He turned to the bartender and ordered a beer for me.
While Tyler finished paying for it, I turned to look at Josh.
If it were possible, he was even more handsome than a few days ago. Against the black causal button-up shirt and a pair of lightly worn blue jeans, the light tan of his skin was flawless and his eyes were like two perfect lakes. He had managed to control that full head of Irish hair of his. The sight of his long slightly crooked aquiline nose and cherry colored lips brought back memories of his face buried against my neck and evenings of delightful and satisfying ending
s. He had a far away look on his face and I wondered what was on his mind. I decided to shake off the feeling. I was no longer the woman to soothe those feelings out so I was not going to entertain the thought of wasting my time again.
After being handed my beer, I was moving around Josh to grab the vacant seat next to him when he touched my arm and my breath caught in my throat.
“Don’t I get one, too?”
Without being directed, I instinctively knew what he was referencing and reached over to allow for a quick embrace. Instead, I was met by a set of warm muscular arms enclosing me from each side and then the sound of a soothing heartbeat in my ears as my head lay against the soft material covering his chest.
“You smell so sweet.”
I heard him whisper against my ear and tingles went down that side of my neck. Again, I was taken back to memories of lying in his arms on late Sunday mornings, enjoying the sound of his breathing as he stroked my hair and my back with his rough hands. I wanted this moment to last forever. The sensation was too much to handle all at once and I forced myself from him.
He looked down at me with a surprised and hurt look of disappointment.
Regaining my senses, I reached around him and was able to seat myself before I lost my balance and landed straight at his feet.
Josh sat back on his seat and stared straight forward at the mirror behind the bar. Not sure what else to do, I sipped on my beer.
“So, Keri, what have you been up to?” He asked without looking over.
“Nothing much. You know me. I don’t change much. Still at the ad agency. Same old routine.” I felt the liquid in my pallet but could no longer taste it.
“I heard you went back to school.”
How did he know that? Of course, it had to be Tyler.
“Yup. I wanted to finish my degree in marketing.”
“Yeah,” he smiled and, for some reason that made me feel better, “you always did love that stuff. You never had a problem being creative or saying exactly what was in your head.”
“So, what about you?” I wanted to move on from the topic of me as quickly as possible.
He shrugged a large shoulder and looked down at his hands. That urge to run my fingers soothingly through his head came upon me again. When we dated, whenever Josh had a lot on his mind or was stressed or feeling down, I would massage his hair. He said that act always lifted his spirits. He said the feel of my tiny fingers melted everything away. I wondered if I would still have the same effect on him. I already knew he held the same impression on me. I never felt calmer, more at peace, more safe, than when he held me close to him.
“I traveled around for a while and picked up a few freelance photography jobs. My final stop was Virginia, near where my grandparents live, in Fairfax. One of the local news stations hired me full time, said I did pretty good work.”
He thumbed the rim of the bottle and then sat still and quiet again.
“Photojournalism. So that’s what was under the black cover on your seat,” I said thinking back.
“Yeah, it’s to keep the equipment cool and undamaged from the sun. Plus, it deters people from trying to get into the vehicle to take it.”
“That’s great. It’s what you always wanted to do. You always wanted to be where all of the action was.”
“It’s okay, I guess,” his voice held a hint of doubt.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I love my job. It’s just not the same.”
I think he left the statement open-ended on purpose. It felt as though he were trying to draw me in to ask more questions. I decided, fool-heartedly, to go for the bait.
“What’s not the same?”
He turned to me and his eyes were dazzling. I thought he would speak the words that were also on my heart, but I was devastatingly wrong. He backed out.
“Nothing,” he said and looked away and toward the mirror again.
“I need to run to restroom real quick. Be right back.”
Josh shot up from his seat and headed to the back.
Sitting there stunned, I looked over at Jeanette who popped up her head from snuggling up to Tyler only long enough to shake her head, silently telling me not to worry. Had they been listening to our conversation?
Suddenly, I had the feeling I was being watched, almost as though someone were standing right at my back. Swinging my legs around, I expected Josh to have returned and was completed taken aback by the man who stood before me.
With butterscotch colored skin and almond eyes to match, this man was beautiful. His hair was neatly trimmed with a well-groomed goatee to match. His physical beauty was matched by the top of the line pair of gray dress pants and light blue dress shirt, tucked neatly into his pants, and matching gray printed tie he wore.
I must have started smiling without realizing I was, because he returned the sentiment and a stunning pair of gleaming white teeth greeted me.
“Hi, pretty lady,” he crooned.
“Hello,” was all I could manage in return.
“I saw you the moment you stepped through the door and I had to know your name,” he smiled again.
“Kerine,” I giggled.
“Hi, Kerine. I’m Maurice,” he extended his hand, “nice to make your acquaintance.”
I shyly touched my hand to his then drew back just as quickly.
“Likewise.”
“Listen, I was wondering if you might like to step out on the floor and have a dance with me?”
I dropped my head and looked away. The feeling of butterflies in my stomach indicated I was probably behaving like a schoolgirl. I wasn’t sure how I was going to respond until someone else answered on my behalf.
“No, she would not.”
I heard the deep bass of Josh’s voice and my head shot up.
Maurice made a turn so smooth I had not realized he had made any motion at all until his back was to me.
“Thank you for the response, my man, but I think I was asking the lady, not you.”
His statement was short and to the point.
Josh stepped forward; close enough to Maurice so that the two men were toe to toe. With their heights evenly matched, the two men eyed one another for a long silent moment. From where I sat, I could only make out Joshua’s expression. He was like a statue. He stood perfectly still and his eyes were intense and focused on the other man. His gaze faltered only long enough to throw a glance at me and then back at Maurice.
“I saw who you asked and I heard what you asked and the answer is still ‘no’.”
Maurice did not seem like he was going to back down. Sudden movement to my right alerted me that Tyler had stood up and so had Jeanette. This was not looking good. Tyler was a good six inches shorter than Josh and Maurice, he was even slightly shorter than Jeanette, but he was a burly guy and could easily move himself around and underneath someone if needed. So could Josh. This was definitely not a good sign.
If Maurice was aware there was another man coming up behind him, he gave no indication he knew. He and Josh continued their stand off.
“Exactly what gives you the right to speak for her? The lady looks old enough to make her own decisions.”
Josh folded his arms over his chest. Yet another ominous sign. He only made that move when he was getting pissed.
“Wait, hold on, fellas.”
I jumped off the stool and stood to one side of both of the tall men.
“Let’s not get carried away,” I said as I looked from Josh then to Maurice, hoping to will them both into submission.
I know it was lame, but it was all I could think of to say to try to defuse the situation. Whatever the attempt, it had failed as neither man took the time to acknowledge my smaller presence standing there.
“I’ll tell you what gives me the right. She’s my woman so she doesn’t dance with any other guys.”
My head snapped up at Josh. Did my ears deceive me or had he referred to my as his woman – not his girl – his woman?
“Is
that right?”
I was so fixated on Josh that it took me a moment to realize Maurice was addressing the question to me. It was only when Josh looked down at me with pleading eyes, I knew I was supposed to respond for myself this time.
“Yes,” I directed the answer to Maurice but I continued to stare up at the only man who held my heart.
With a look of defeat, Maurice stepped away and put his hands in the air as he walked away. I supposed Tyler and Jeanette went back to their seats. I honestly could not say because my entire being was focused on this handsome man standing there with his hand held out to me.
Without hesitation, I took Josh’s hand and let his larger tanned one enfold my smaller bronzed one. With a feeling of being swept off my feet, he lifted me into his arms and carried me over to the dance floor and then gently set me back down. Never taking his hands from around my waste, he kept his eyes steadied on my mine. I wanted to blush, but the need to wrap my slim arms around his thick neck was more overpowering so I just went with the feeling. Using my fingertips, I started to comb through the russet locks that had been teasing me and begging me to touch them. He bent forward and pressed his forehead against mine and released a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he moved his lips close enough to gently touch mine.
If there was music playing in the background, I could no longer hear it. All I heard, all I felt was Joshua Somers.
“For what?”
I closed my eyes and inhaled his heavy scent, wanting to wrap myself in it and implant the memory in my soul forever.
“I know you don’t like when I fight.”
A small laugh escaped me.
“It’s okay. That doesn’t count as a real fight.”
I was about to laugh again but I felt his lips press firmly, eagerly against my own. My tongue slipped into his mouth and our noses pressed together as we consumed one another in a kiss passionate enough to spark small flames all over my body. My feet were once again taken from the floor as he scooped me up so were at the same height as he continued to shower small kisses on my mouth.
“Kerine,” he breathed heavily.