Steven _BWWM Romance

by Katie Dowe

  Kitty burst into a laughter on hearing this, making Rebecca chuckle.

  “What is wrong with that?” Janet looked at Rebecca and suddenly the laughter stopped. Rebecca’s smile vanished and a frown appeared in its place. “What do you mean what is wrong with it? Name 3 African American women who are worth more than a billion and have a family.”

  Janet was stumped. She tried to come up with names or faces that could fit Rebecca’s criteria, but it was all a big blank. And suddenly, she realized that there were no women who had both a family and a billion dollars that they earned on their own.

  “See?” Rebecca was perhaps reading Janet’s mind. “There is a reason why you could not give me even one name, let alone three…”

  And after a dramatic pause, Rebecca revealed the reason. “Because there are no woman who have both a family and a billion dollars of there own.” She was echoing exactly what was going on in Janet’s mind.

  But then Janet remembered that this discussion had nothing to do with her situation. “I get it, but I was not thinking of settling down.”

  “Oh thank God!” Rebecca heaved a sigh of relief. “I would hate to lose my biggest client.”

  Kitty, who was silent during all this, finally spoke up. “Can we come back to the original discussion? We need to come up with the next big idea… or should I say, Janet needs to come up with the next big idea.”

  Rebecca and Janet realized Kitty was right.

  “That is not a problem. If somebody is already working on a good idea, we can buy it from them.” Rebecca proposed a simple solution.

  Janet wanted to come up with something that she could call her own. CookUp and the ideas prior to that were her brainchild, and so buying an idea seemed a little odd to her. But at the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. However, she looked at Kitty for her approval —

  “I think it's a great idea. I can look for some small scale startups with nice concepts and we can figure out which one we want to buy out.”

  “Awesome!” Rebecca exclaimed. “Get on it, today!”

  Janet did not want to get into an argument today. She was feeling on top of the world, and did not want anybody or anything to change that. But to her it seemed like Rebecca was hell bent on ruining her day.

  “Hello ladies!” A deep male voice came to Janet’s rescue.

  Brandon McCarthy, a middle aged man entered the room with a team of lawyers behind him.

  “How are you doing today?” he glanced at Janet with a warm smile and she grabbed his hand like a lifeline. “I am doing great Brandon, how about you?” she asked shaking his hand.

  “Well, I am here to take your company, and make you even richer!” the man was both honest and funny.

  “Lets do it then!” Janet did not want to waste any time.

  The lawyers took their seat and the procedure began. Sitting together, Janet and Brandon signed papers after papers, listening and nodding to all the voices that explained the paperwork to them. It took around five minutes for them to sign every paper that was required and then finally Brandon offered his hand to Janet.

  “It was a pleasure, Janet!” he said with a smile on his handsome face.

  Janet confidently took his hand and said, “Likewise!” She was now 9.8 million dollars richer.

  And then, the conference room turned into a small party venue. Champagne was served and people talked and laughed. Everybody was happy.

  *****

  “You should be happy! Why don't you seem happy?”

  Kitty could not understand why Janet did not seem happy. “You now have enough money to live a luxurious life without doing a thing.”

  But Janet did not want to spend her life without doing anything. She liked creating things and it gave her immense pleasure when her ideas grew big and popular. Yes, she had sold another one of her ideas today, but now she was out of them. Her mind was not able to come up with another great idea that was not already out there. And what Rebecca suggested to her today seemed like sacrilege. For Janet, originality was something she held very dear and pious.

  “Do you really think we should buy somebody else’s idea?” she opened herself before Kitty.

  “Why not? Somebody just bought your idea.”

  “Yeah! I sold it to him. I did not take somebody’s idea with my money.”

  “What difference does it make? It's just like buying anything else. You find one that you really like and you pay for it.”

  Janet saw the logic in Kitty’s argument but she was not ready to accept that she now had to buy an idea. It made her feel like a lesser person.

  “I don’t want to do it. I want to come up with my own idea.” She made herself clear.

  “Then do it.” Kitty replied. “Who is stopping you?”

  Confused, Janet kept staring at Kitty.

  “Listen, you can still come up with a great idea.” Kitty was able to read her face. “But we need to have a plan B.”

  Janet agreed with Kitty and so she decided not to punish herself over this issue anymore, at least not for today.

  “And right now you deserve a holiday. Maybe it will help you in coming up with something.”

  Janet could see herself bathing in the sun at a beach. “I agree! Lets book a flight, right now!” Jumping at the idea like an excited child.

  “Alright!” Kitty replied, “Where do you want to go?”

  “Surprise me!” Janet replied with a smile. “And don’t forget to include yourself. Both of us will be there together.”

  “As you say Boss!” Kitty smiled.

  Janet was suddenly feeling relaxed — she was trying to think where Kitty is going to take her for this holiday.

  *****

  Janet was in for a shock when she found out that they were going to India. They were at the airport and Janet had just found out about her destination by seeing their tickets.

  “What were you thinking?” she rhetorically asked Kitty. “I thought you would pick some place where we would be alone.”

  “Trust me, we will be alone.”

  “Have you forgotten what it was like when we went there two years ago?” Janet reminded Kitty who seemed surprisingly calm and confident. “It was like a never ending festival. There were so many people. I need reclusiveness to think — I cannot think with so many people all around me.”

  “Would you shut up and just trust me on this?” Kitty stopped Janet. “I know what you need, and you will love me for this.”

  Janet had no clue what Kitty was talking about. She checked their tickets making sure that she did not have the wrong ticket by any accident. Both of them were for Chennai.

  “Just relax, alright? I got this!” Kitty said with a mysterious smile.

  Janet decided not to argue with her anymore and so just stopped talking altogether. Both of them boarded the flight and took off to the land of call centers and spices.

  *****

  Janet was surprised to see the Chennai Airport — it was much bigger and fancier than she had remembered. The last time she was here, the airport seemed like it was stuck in the 90s. But now it was completely changed. It looked like any other major American airport.

  “It has changed so much. I don't remember it like this at all.” Janet was totally impressed.

  Together, they got out of the airport and found their escort waiting for them. A beautiful town car took them to a lavish hotel with a scenic background.

  “Really? You brought us to a hotel in India? What was wrong with the hotels back at home?” Janet had an idea that this was not their real destination. She could sense that Kitty’s real plan was yet to unfold before her.

  And Kitty remained mysteriously quiet. They checked into the hotel and entered their beautiful room. But when Janet started to settle in, Kitty broke the news — “Don't unpack, we have another flight at 1AM.”

  “Where are we going now?” Janet asked curiously.

  “You will see.” Kitty replied while getting into a bath.

  “
You are not taking me to a snowy mountain, are you? To meet a mystic and unlocking my mind and spirit.”

  “Trust me.” Kitty replied with her eyes closed. “This will be better than that, much better!”

  Janet tried to ask Kitty another set of questions, but then she thought it was better to spend her time sleeping instead.

  “I am going to sleep,” she declared and crashed into her bed.

  At around 11PM they both left the hotel and reached the airport.

  “Come on, tell me!” Janet asked, this time being impatient. “Where are we going? I cannot take this scavenger hunt anymore.”

  “Here!” Kitty handed Janet their tickets.

  Janet quickly took the tickets from her hands and started reading — “Port Blair.. what is this place?”

  “A small city in the islands. Away from civilization. So much, that the British used it as a prison for the most dreaded political prisoners during the Indian freedom struggle.”

  “And that is where we are going? To a prison made by the British?” Janet wanted to confirm.

  “Well, we will not stay in Port Blair, but yes.. we will stay in those islands.”

  “What are they called? The islands.” Janet asked.

  “Andamans.”

  “Sounds good.” Janet looked at her ticket.

  An hour later, both of them boarded another flight that landed on a small airstrip in Port Blair. The morning sun was still rising over the horizon and Janet could feel the cool ocean breeze. The airport here reminded her of those Hollywood movies from the 80’s.

  “Wow! What is this place?” Janet could see that the glorious 80’s never left this part of the world. Unlike the airport in Chennai, this airport had no cab driver or any other person trying to aggressively lure them into their vehicle. This, was a refreshing change for Janet.

  Kitty was reading Janet’s face while she looked around.

  “Alright, I am impressed. Now what?”

  “Now, we have a ferry to catch.” Kitty checked her watch.

  Within half an hour, the two of them were standing at a port where they saw two small passenger ships. A tall man with a fair complexion greeted them with a warm smile, “Hello, are you Miss Kitty?”

  “Yes, and this is Janet.” Kitty replied.

  The man joined his hands in the traditional Indian manner of greeting, “Namaste! I am Ravi, and your ferry is waiting for you. Shall we leave?”

  “Please lead the way, Ravi.” Kitty replied with a smile.

  Ravi took them to a smaller boat that was waiting only for them. Janet and Kitty were the only passengers. Ravi showed them to their gorgeous cabin. “I hope you will find it comfortable. Please make sure to wear your life jackets if you decide to get out of your cabin. It's for your safety.”

  Leaving the port, the boat soon reached in the middle of the ocean. Janet and Kitty got out of the cabin and looked around, in one direction they could see tiny mountains at a great distance. While on the other hand all they saw was water.

  An hour later, the boat reached an island and Ravi appeared again. “We have reached the Neil Island. Hope your trip was comfortable.”

  “It was. Thank you Ravi.” Janet smiled as she got off the boat. A cab was waiting at the port to pick them up. On their way to the hotel, Janet was surprised to see this new side of India where she hardly saw people on the road. The small houses scattered all over the island told her that this place was still far away from the modern world.

  “You think you can think here?” Kitty asked Janet with a smile. “I hope this is not too crowded for you.”

  “Now you are just bragging.” Janet smiled showing her appreciation. Both of them shared a chuckle. The cab stopped outside a hotel that seemed too big for this kind of island. After checking in, Janet and Kitty entered their beautiful room that was overlooking the beach.

  “Now you can unpack! We are here for at least 15 days.” Kitty told Janet.

  But Janet did not want to do anything right now. The only thing she wanted to do was stand by the beach and stare at it.

  “This is perfect!” she said feeling the breeze in her hair. Her eyes tried to find a single soul on the beach, but failed. It was completely empty. The water was blue like it was painted and the sand was shining with the sun light.

  “You like it?” Kitty asked standing behind Janet.

  “I love it!” Janet did not hold back her admiration for this place.

  Kitty felt a little proud of herself in that moment.

  “Have some rest, we can start thinking tomorrow.” Kitty said while she jumped into the bed, “I am going to sleep now.”

  Janet stayed right there and stared at the ocean in front of her. All her apprehensions and doubts slowly washed away with the sound of the breaking waves.

  Jet-lag and exhaustion made Janet and Kitty sleep the whole day. They woke up in the middle of the night and found out that the beach now had signs of life. From the distance they could see and hear people laughing and singing. Few bonfires were lighting up at the various spots all over the beach. Couples, singles and small groups were enjoying the moonlight that showered the clean waters.

  “Lets go there!” Janet suggested, but Kitty seemed tired

  “You go, I will stay here.”

  “Suit yourself.” Janet said stepping out on the beach.

  She could see the group that was closest to her — some people were sitting together, laughing and talking. When Janet came closer, they welcomed her with their smiles.

  “Hello there..” one of them said. “Come, join us.”

  Encouraged by the warmth of the fire and kind words, Janet joined the group. The man who invited her introduced himself and the rest of the group — “I am Ted! And here are Bilal, Elena, Joseph and Rose.”

  Janet looked at all of the people in the group — Ted was a tall blonde man with a clear American accent, Bilal was a young man with sharp looks and curly hair. Elena was a black woman with beautiful eyes and lips. Joseph made it clear with his greeting that he was a Frenchman while Rose, seemed from Eastern Europe.

  “I am Janet.” she introduced herself to the group who lovingly welcomed her.

  “So Janet, where are you from?” Joseph asked her with his French accent.

  “New York.”

  “Yeah, what do you do?”

  “Joseph!” Elena stopped Joseph as soon as he asked his question. “Remember the rules. No talks about work.”

  Confused, Janet looked around when Ted solved this mystery for her. “This is your first time here, I presume.”

  Janet nodded in approval.

  “We come here quite often and have a rule, that we don't talk about work.” Ted concluded. “You see, we come here to forget work, and that's how it should be. No work!”

  “You are what you are here, and not what you are in your professional life.” Rose made it simpler.

  “Wow!” Janet was surprised at this concept. “So you guys do not know what you do?”

  “Nope.” Bilal replied with a smile. “But we guess.”

  Bilal’s smile sprouted several similar grins in the group. “There is no harm in guessing.” Rose replied.

  “You can just be yourself and enjoy your time here,” Rose told Janet.

  Janet sat down among her new friends and looked around herself — several small groups of people who did not care about who they really were and what they do. All they wanted was to live in the moment. She instantly fell in love with this idea.

  All of them kept talking the whole night and soon the sun was starting to spread its fuzzy light all over the beach.

  “Good morning!” Joseph said looking around. “Alright Vampires, it's time to go back to bed.”

  “So we meet only at night?” Janet asked.

  “We all are jet lagged and so spend our time together until our biological clock is used to the local time.” Ted explained while getting up. He patted his bottom to clear the sand and stood straight. “This will continue for a f
ew days, a week tops. And then we will be used to the local time.”

  “I will catch you guys later.” Rose said while walking away.

  The group disbanded after a small session of goodbye and Janet was left standing there. She liked this new society with no burden of formal courtesy or chivalry. “I think I will like it here,” Janet said to herself.

  Walking back into her room, Janet saw Kitty was still in her bed. After taking a shower, Janet got into her bed as well and pulled the sheets over her head.

  “What is the time?” she suddenly heard Kitty’s voice.

  As she looked out of the sheet, she found Kitty waking up.

  “Good morning,” Kitty said with a smile.

  “How the hell you are not jet lagged?”

  “Cause I am freaking awesome!” was Kitty’s reply.

  Janet kept staring at Kitty’s smiling face with awe and then she gave up.

  “I am going to sleep.”

  “Suit yourself!” Kitty said getting out of the bed.

  Chapter 2

  Days later, finally Janet’s body had accustomed to the local time and climate. Now the bonfires by the beach stayed only till midnight and the group would go the other islands in the day. But most of the time, all of them would just sit by themselves and relax. After all, spending time with themselves was the reason why most of them were here.

  When Janet came back from the bonfire one night, Kitty dropped a small folder in front of her.

  “What is this?” Janet asked looking at the folder and then Kitty’s face.

  “This, is why we came here.” Kitty replied.

  Janet opened the folder and found several files inside. She opened the first file and realized what it was — “Oh come on! Do we really need to do this right now?” she cried.

  “Oh yes! It's about damn time!” Kitty was stern.

  The folder contained files with the details of several startup ideas that Kitty and Rebecca had collated before the trip. These ideas were shortlisted by the two of them as the Plan B. Kitty had decided to go back from this trip with a solid idea, and this was her first step towards achieving her goal.

  “We are going to read and discuss all these ideas and come up with the one you will be buying.”