by Mason Dixon
“You sound out of sorts. Is everything okay?”
“Of course.” Rashida tried to inject some levity into her voice. “I’m busy with work, that’s all.”
“I understand. I won’t keep you long, especially since thanking you isn’t the reason I called.”
“No?” Rashida’s heart raced in anticipation. Was Destiny about to ask her for another date? If so, it had to be tonight. Tomorrow could be too late.
“I’m calling to let you know your business card was selected in last week’s drawing at the French Roast. You won the gift certificate.”
“Oh.” Rashida tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “That’s fantastic.”
“Would you like me to mail you the certificate or would you prefer to pick it up yourself? We’re open until ten if you want to drop by one night after work.”
Rashida tried not to order takeout for dinner during the week to avoid the unnecessary expense, but she had a lot of prep work to do in advance of tomorrow’s meeting, and she could use a caffeine boost to help her power through. A bowl of soup and a side salad wouldn’t hurt her bottom line too much. “I’ll pick it up tonight.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, I’ll be there around seven.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
The rest of the afternoon dragged by the way it always seemed to whenever Rashida had something to look forward to after closing. At five thirty, she packed the reports she needed into her briefcase and headed out. Traffic on I-95 was brutal as hordes of commuters tried to head home at the same time. I-16 was only marginally better. By the time she got to Savannah, she was ready to pull her hair out. She left her car in the bank’s parking lot and walked to the French Roast.
Most of the tables were filled with students from the local art school, many doodling in notebooks filled with sketches of people, landscapes, and design projects. Destiny was taking orders at a booth filled with four baby dykes. Rashida caught her eye before heading to a table in the back of the restaurant. Destiny held up a hand to indicate she’d be with her as soon as she could. While she waited, Rashida booted up her laptop and plugged in the device she used to protect her computer from spyware before she logged on to the shop’s wireless network.
“Coffee, tea, or me?”
Rashida looked up at the sound of a now-familiar voice and smiled despite herself. “You don’t really want me to answer that question, do you?”
“Actually, yes, I do.”
Destiny slid into the opposite side of the booth. She was impeccably dressed as usual. Her black beret was tilted at a jaunty angle. A black vest and matching slacks were paired with a crisp white shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up to her elbows. A loosely knotted red tie added a pop of color to her ensemble. She was wearing the standard night uniform issued to all French Roast employees, but she somehow made the look her own.
“You seemed distant when I called you this afternoon to tell you you’d won the gift certificate. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”
“No.” Rashida didn’t feel like getting into it. What was the point? “Just the same old, same old.”
“Then did I do something to scare you off?”
“No, I did.”
“I don’t understand.”
Rashida wasn’t eager to have this conversation—or to put an end to something that had barely begun—but Destiny’s earnest expression made her want to come clean.
“If you’re offered a contract with Low Country Savings, there’s a clause you need to be aware of before you sign.” She told Destiny about the no fraternization caveat that had been occupying her thoughts since Sunday.
“So by telling me about the job, you might have ended our chance to see each other?”
“It would appear.”
Destiny was quiet for a moment. Rashida could hear her wheels turning but couldn’t tell what direction they were headed.
“Do you think I’ll get the job?”
“I’m not part of the decision-making process, but from what I hear, your interview went well and you’re one of the top contenders.”
Destiny tossed her order pad on the table and stuck her pen behind her ear like a sassy waitress in a greasy spoon. “Let me see if I understand what you’re saying. If I take the job, I’d earn a steady paycheck for the first time in months, I’d have insurance and benefits, but I’d never get to kiss you or know what you look like when you come.”
Rashida felt a rush of liquid heat pool between her legs. “You’re being a bit presumptuous, aren’t you? How do you know we were ever going to be more than friends?”
“Were? Now who’s being presumptuous?”
Destiny reached across the table and trailed a finger across the back of Rashida’s hand. Rashida felt the sensation shoot up her arm and spread throughout her body. If Destiny kept it up, she might get her wish.
“I want the job,” Destiny said, “but I want you, too. Another job will come along. I don’t think I’ll be lucky enough to find another you.”
Rashida reluctantly pulled her hand away, even though Destiny had just said something she had always wanted to hear. “I can’t ask you to choose me over your livelihood.”
She had grown up straddling the poverty line. She knew how it felt not to have enough money to make ends meet. Sometimes getting them close enough to wave at each other was the best her family could do. Her parents had worked hard for everything they had, making sure she and her brother and sister never went without. Even though they didn’t always get the bright, shiny new toys or fly designer outfits they asked Santa to bring them, there was always something under the tree. That had been enough for her but not for her brother and sister. Derek and Gail had found relief from their disappointment with their respective lots in life by seeking solace in the easy thrills found in the streets. She had found escape in books, using the knowledge she gleaned from them to escape the dreary world in which most of her relatives remained hopelessly mired. The more successful she became professionally, the farther away that world seemed. She had never felt as if she belonged in it in the first place and there was no way she would ever willingly return.
“Would you rather I take the job or would you rather see where this leads?”
Rashida’s cell phone rang, saving her from having to respond to a question she didn’t quite know how to answer. Jackie’s number was printed on the display. “One second. I’ve got to take this. Yes, Jackie?”
“It looks like your girl wins. Tony just called me. He and his wife have a baby on the way, which explains why he’s been so distracted recently. Jeannine convinced him the security guard job was too dangerous and he pulled his name from contention. The job’s Destiny’s if she wants it. Do you know where she is? I’d like to make her an offer, but she’s not answering either of the numbers she provided on her application.”
“Hold on. She’s right here.” She offered her phone to Destiny. “This call’s for you.”
“Are you sure you want me to take this?” Destiny asked.
“Jackie wants to make you an offer. I think she deserves to be heard. Whether you accept her offer is up to you.”
She watched as Destiny listened to what Jackie had to say. Destiny’s expression slowly changed from shut down to skeptical to disbelieving. Then she said the words Rashida suspected would change their lives forever.
“When would you like me to start?”
Destiny listened for a minute or two, then ended the call. “Thank you,” she said, returning Rashida’s phone.
Rashida dropped the phone into her purse. “Welcome aboard,” she said without taking her eyes off her computer screen.
Destiny examined her face. “I’m sorry,” she said with a helpless shrug, “but I’ve got bills to pay.”
Rashida gave her a quick glance. “Believe me, I understand.”
Destiny continued to linger at the table even after she’d taken her order. “Are we okay?”
“We’re
fine.” Rashida tried to put the required distance between them now that they were going to be working together. “Please make sure the kitchen puts my dressing on the side.”
“Yes, Miss Ivey.”
Rashida stiffened at the formal term of address. A term she would have to get used to. She pulled her reports from her briefcase and went back to work. Focused on completing her presentation for the committee meeting, she stayed at the French Roast until closing time. When she finally looked up from her computer, the doors were locked, she was the last customer, and most of the staff was looking at her like she was keeping them from something.
“I didn’t realize how late it was.”
She gathered her belongings and tossed enough money on the table to cover the cost of her order and leave a sizeable tip to compensate for any inconvenience she had caused.
“Wait up,” Destiny said as she headed for the door. “Give me a second to clock out and I’ll walk you to your car.”
Rashida started to argue she was fully capable of walking the short distance from the coffee shop to the bank’s well-lit parking lot, but she could tell by the determined set of Destiny’s jaw that protesting wouldn’t get her very far.
They made the journey in silence, Rashida already uncertain how to cope with the sudden sea change in their burgeoning relationship. After locking her computer in the trunk of her car, she broke the discomforting quiet. “I seem to have misplaced my manners. Let me be the first to offer my congratulations. In a few hours, we’ll officially be co-workers.” She stuck out her hand. “Welcome to Low—”
Destiny moved forward as quick as a cat, pinning her against her car. Rashida was unable to suppress a gasp of surprise. Then Destiny kissed her. Long and hard and deep. The kiss was passionate and fierce but unbelievably tender. Rashida’s first instinct was to push Destiny away, but her hands, as if acting of their own volition, tangled themselves in the lapels of Destiny’s vest and pulled her closer.
Destiny’s tongue explored her mouth, asking a series of questions. Rashida’s unspoken response to each was a resounding yes.
God, how she wanted this. How she wanted this woman who was so wrong for her but felt so right. She wanted more. The kiss was just the beginning and she didn’t want it to end. But end it did. Much too soon yet much too late. Destiny lit a match, a fire started, and Rashida couldn’t put it out. Nor did she want to.
“I’m sorry,” Destiny said, “but I couldn’t go another minute without feeling your lips pressed against mine.”
And Rashida couldn’t go another second without feeling Destiny’s hands sliding over her bare skin. “Get in the car,” she growled.
Destiny climbed in the passenger seat and Rashida sped out of the parking lot. Her apartment was only a short distance away, but they didn’t make it that far.
“Pull over,” Destiny said when they reached a tree-lined residential neighborhood. Her hand slipped under Rashida’s skirt, skimming past her knee and sliding up her thigh.
“We’re almost to my place.”
Keeping both hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road, Rashida was all too aware of but didn’t put a stop to Destiny’s inexorable progress.
“I don’t care. Pull over.”
Rashida parked on a residential street in the Victorian District. Expensive condos, apartments, and townhouses lined both sides of the road.
“Now come here.”
Rashida unbuckled her seat belt, climbed over the center console, and straddled Destiny’s lap. The headlights of a passing car briefly snapped her back to reality. Then Destiny’s mouth found hers and reality—reason—flew out the window. Her inhibitions quickly followed. The fear of getting caught in a compromising position disappeared, replaced by the fear of never knowing how it felt to have Destiny’s body moving against hers.
Destiny unbuttoned her coral suit jacket and tossed it aside. Then she went to work on her blouse, pulling it out of her skirt and reaching for the buttons. The blouse was one of her favorites, but the oversized buttons made it impossible to get into or out of in a hurry.
“Just rip it.”
Destiny effortlessly tore the blouse apart. The buttons pinged off the passenger’s side window like stray gunfire. Destiny unhooked her bra. Then her mouth, hot and wet and eager, closed around her nipple.
Rashida tried to muffle her cries, but Destiny’s skilled tongue drew noises from her that sounded more animalistic than human.
Destiny reached for her underwear and she lifted her hips to allow her access. Destiny slipped two fingers inside her and she moved against them, bracing herself with one hand against the window and the other against the windshield. For a brief moment, she wondered what she looked like half-naked and crazed with lust. Then Destiny told her.
“You are so fucking sexy.”
The comment, combined with the sensation of Destiny’s breath kissing her skin, sent her over the edge.
“Any regrets?” Destiny asked after she finally came back down to earth.
“Just one,” she said as Destiny joined the halves of her ruined shirt, covering her exposed breasts. “Why couldn’t we have done this sooner?”
Destiny smiled up at her as porch lights flared to life all around them. “We’ve got ninety minutes left. Let’s not waste any of them sitting here.”
Rashida drove Destiny to her apartment, where they made love for hours. Though “making love” was too tame a phrase to describe what transpired between them. Rashida had never felt so reckless. So out of control. She felt like a stranger and, yet, thoroughly—finally—herself.
Destiny summed up the experience perfectly. “I can’t get enough of you,” she said as they caught their breath between rounds.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“Under the circumstances, it’s a very bad thing.” She trailed a finger down Rashida’s back, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I never thought I could pull a woman like you.”
“We aren’t so different.”
The revelation, which occurred the first time Destiny kissed her, had come as a bit of a surprise. Yes, she made more money than Destiny, and her job responsibilities were vastly different, but in the end, she and Destiny had one very important thing in common. The only thing that mattered. They both loved the heat that only two women could produce. Rashida knew she was playing with fire by allowing Destiny to get so close. Lying next to her, her body could still feel the flames.
Destiny scoffed. “Look around.” She plucked at the high-end bedding. Since sleep was so important and often came so rarely, designer sheets were the one indulgence Rashida allowed herself. “I bet it would take my entire first paycheck to score sheets like these. You are far above my pay grade, Rashida Ivey, but at least I know I don’t have to buy you fancy things to make you happy.”
Rashida squirmed as Destiny kissed the side of her neck. “Tonight was the best sex I’ve ever had,” she said, running her hands through Destiny’s short hair.
“We can have more.”
Destiny moved to top her, but Rashida fended her off. “No, we can’t. Only if you quit your job or I lose mine, a Catch-22 in any economy let alone one that’s improving in tiny increments instead of leaps and bounds.”
Destiny slowly dragged a finger across Rashida’s lips. “I’m not willing to settle for only one night. Are you?”
Destiny had convinced her to break the rules once, but Rashida couldn’t cross the line again. Her professional ethics wouldn’t allow her to heed the insistent drumbeat between her legs no matter how enticing the call. She reluctantly pushed Destiny’s hand away.
“It will have to be.”
Chapter Six
Wednesday, March 8
10:58 a.m.
Savannah, Georgia
Low Country Savings’ main office was divided into three floors. The vault, teller windows, new accounts desks, and branch manager’s office were on the ground floor; the executive offices were upstairs, and the meeting rooms were in the basemen
t.
Rashida pressed the down button on the elevator and waited for the car to arrive. When the doors opened, she wished she had taken the stairs. Jackie and Destiny were standing in the elevator. Destiny had a sheaf of papers and a copy of the employee handbook tucked under her arm.
“Perfect timing.” Jackie pressed the button that locked the elevator doors in an open position. She introduced Destiny to the people who flanked Rashida on either side. “Destiny Jackson, I’d like you to meet Daniel Parker and Harrison Collins, the heads of the marketing and mortgage departments. Daniel makes us look good in the press, and Harrison could sell an igloo to an Eskimo.”
“Provided the rate’s not too high,” Harrison said with a broad smile that matched the twinkle in her sky blue eyes. “Call me Harry.”
“And I’m Dan.”
Destiny shook both their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”
“What will you be doing here at LCS?” Dan asked, tapping his fountain pen against the leg of his Brooks Brothers suit.
“Destiny’s our new security guard,” Jackie said. “She’s replacing Mr. Frank.”
“That means you have some pretty big shoes to fill.”
Destiny held up a cautioning hand. “From what I hear, there’s no replacing Mr. Frank. I’m simply hoping to follow in his footsteps.”
“Well said. Mr. Frank will be greatly missed by one and all, myself included.”
Rashida mentally applauded Destiny’s tact as she ingratiated herself with two of her fellow employees.
“And, last but not least,” Jackie said, “let me formally introduce you to my boss and yours, Rashida Ivey.”
Destiny stuck out her hand. “A pleasure to finally meet you as well.”
Destiny’s voice was even, but her eyes issued a come-hither command Rashida could no longer heed. Fighting to maintain her professional distance, she clasped Destiny’s outstretched hand. She stiffened when Destiny’s index finger grazed the inside of her wrist.
“Welcome aboard. I look forward to working with you.” She reluctantly retrieved her hand. “Is Jackie showing you the ropes?”