Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  He circled the Vista twice before finding a parking spot. As he walked to the bar where he was meeting Jared and Devin, a vision of how delicious Kenyatta’s breasts looked in that red bra entered his brain. Just the thought stirred his arousal and he cursed himself again. This was crazy. Fantasizing about her like this was juvenile. She was off-limits — period.

  The crowd in the bar was light as he walked past tables and a few guys playing pool. That would change soon. Thursday was college night in Columbia. It was also the unofficial start of the weekend. Soon, everyone would be heading downtown to start their weekend early.

  He spotted Devin at the bar and walked over. He hoped that Jared was running late as usual. Although Jared could go on forever about why it wasn’t smart to get caught up on one woman, Devin would help him make sense of his feelings for Kenyatta.

  Malcolm sat next to Devin. His friend was oblivious to the obvious looks from two women sitting at the end of the bar. Devin always drew women’s attention with high cheekbones and a straight nose that hinted at Native American ancestry, tan skin and wavy dark hair cut close to his head, but he never noticed the way women fought for his attention.

  Malcolm turned to the bartender. “Crown and Coke please.” The bartender nodded and began making his drink.

  Devin’s head jerked up. “Damn, man, bad day?” Malcolm rarely drank hard liquor. Devin had a beer.

  “Yeah, man. Is Jared here yet?” The bartender handed Malcolm his drink, and he took a long swallow, enjoying the smoothness as it went down his throat.

  “You know your brother’s always late. Why, what’s up?”

  He pinched his nose. “Remind me that I’m not supposed to sleep with my employees.”

  Devin grinned. “You’re not still thinking about Kenyatta?”

  Malcolm looked at the door to make sure his brother hadn’t walked in. “She’s getting married.”

  “And? You’re the one with the rule. If you’ve never asked her out, it makes sense she would end up with someone else.”

  “I know, and I’m not breaking my rule. I would have happily ignored her for the rest of my life if I hadn’t seen that ring on her finger.”

  Devin pointed his beer at Malcolm. “So, you’re jealous?”

  “Hell, no. I just never thought she’d actually marry that clown.”

  “What’s she supposed to do, fall for the man who’s been giving her the cold shoulder for three years?”

  Malcolm pointed at Devin. “Hey, she deserves my cold shoulder. I’ve been in a constant state of … ”

  “Arousal.”

  “No … frustration since she started working for me.”

  “And, it would be too easy to forget your rule if you hinted at your … frustration.” Devin was grinning.

  Malcolm looked into his drink. “Something like that.” He didn’t say that he liked to see the flash of jealousy in her eyes when he flirted with other women. She may be off-limits, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her reaction to him.

  “You know, you could always ease your frustration with no strings attached.” Devin took a sip of his beer.

  Malcolm shook his head. “I don’t sleep with coworkers. Even if I did, she’s not the type. I don’t have time for, or want, a serious relationship. My job is too demanding. That’s why I have the arrangement with Jessica.”

  “Ahh, Jessica. The once casual affair that’s turning into a full-blown girlfriend.”

  Malcolm scowled. “Don’t say that. She is becoming too attached. It may be time to end things.”

  “And start things with Kenyatta?”

  “Aren’t you listening? I’m not going after Kenyatta.”

  Devin held up his hands. “Then why are you so upset that she’s getting married?”

  “Because she’s marrying a jackass.” Malcolm took another long swallow from his drink.

  Devin looked doubtful. “How do you know he’s a jackass?”

  Malcolm looked back at the door. His brother hadn’t arrived. “Last year he warned me to keep my eyes off Kenyatta.”

  Devin laughed. “Okay, most men would say that if they thought another guy was interested in their lady.”

  “It’s not just that. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve only met him a few times, but he seems possessive, and jealous.”

  “With a woman that fine, I’d be jealous of you gawking at her, too.”

  Malcolm tapped his finger on the bar. “Nah, man, more than that. He doesn’t act jealous in front of her.”

  Devin turned to face Malcolm and placed his hand in his chin. “What were the circumstances when he told you to back off?”

  Malcolm sighed. “Our Christmas party last year. She was wearing this form-fitting red sweater dress, half the men in the office were checking her out.”

  “So, you were gawking at her.” Devin said with a smile.

  “No, I was trying to be discreet. This fool comes over to me and tells me to keep my fucking eyes off her.”

  Devin’s jaw dropped and he raised his fist to his mouth. “Word, what did you do?”

  “I was so shocked he came at me like that, it took a minute for it to register. When it sunk in, I opened my mouth to ask him who he thought he was talking to, and Kenyatta walked over. He smiled at her all happy-go-lucky like and walked away with his arm around her shoulder. I’m telling you that man is messed up.”

  “What’s he supposed to do, fight you in front of her? I don’t mean no harm, but I would have told you to keep your eyes off my girl, too. Let you know that I ain’t no punk you can disrespect like that.”

  “So you’re on his side?”

  Devin pointed his beer at Malcolm again. “I’m just saying, what you call possessive, he calls putting you in your place.”

  “It’s more than that.” Malcolm said.

  Devin shook his head. “It’s not your problem. She said yes, so he must be doing something right.”

  Malcolm scowled. “She deserves better than him. He’s weak, I can tell. She’s smart and needs someone who isn’t intimidated by her success.”

  Kenyatta was beautiful, sexy, and smart — exactly what he was attracted to in a woman. He hated stupid women, no matter how beautiful they were. Kenyatta knew as much, if not more, about environmental regulations than he did. They were both a rare breed, two minorities who cared about the environment. Most women’s eyes glazed over when he told them he fell in love with nature when his father took him hunting and fishing as a kid. That’s the reason he became an environmental engineer. He had a feeling Kenyatta would not only understand but also go into the reasons why today’s urban development was ruining yesterday’s fishing holes. No wonder he wanted her.

  Devin watched him closely. “It sounds like you think you might be better for her.”

  Malcolm scoffed. “Nah, man. She’s a nice woman and one of my best employees. I’m just a concerned supervisor.”

  Devin was grinning again. “Then why do I need to remind you that you don’t sleep with employees?”

  Malcolm downed the rest of his drink. “She gave me a look today. It was … I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe I’m making too much of things. It was probably nothing.”

  “What was nothing?” Malcolm’s brother Jared walked up. He motioned for the bartender and ordered a beer.

  Malcolm no longer wanted to continue his conversation about Kenyatta. He knew his brother would tell him to forget her, or sleep with her then forget her. He was no longer in the mood for that type of advice.

  “Nothing, man. Work was crazy that’s all. I didn’t see you come in.”

  “That’s because you were too busy talking.” Jared sat down next to Malcolm. Although they were brothers, they didn’t have similar looks. Malcolm inherited their father’s dark skin and
rugged looks. Jared had their mother’s lighter complexion and a more muscled frame, a testament to his work as a professional trainer.

  “What’s happening in your world?” Malcolm asked Jared.

  “I had a meeting with the economic development director in Lexington County. I’m looking at acreage in the county’s industrial park for my production facility. Since Wal-Mart and Target have both decided to carry my line, I’ll need to increase production.”

  “That’s great, man. I’m glad to hear you’re making moves.” Devin reached over to give Jared a fist pound.

  “Yeah, man, I knew you were looking into that, but didn’t know you were so close to getting things started,” Malcolm agreed slapping his brother on the back. “I guess it was a real meeting you had earlier.” He was proud of his brother. After their father died, Jared left South Carolina and spent the last six years in Los Angles as a personal trainer to the rich and famous. He’d opened a gym in L.A. before returning to South Carolina to find a location for a production facility for his line of protein bars and shakes.

  “Well, if things work out, I’ll be ready to start in eighteen months. Then I’ll have plenty of time for meetings of another kind.” Jared winked at the women at the end of the bar. One fanned herself, and the bolder of the two, winked back.

  Devin pushed Jared to get his attention. “Forget those chicks, and tell us what’s up.”

  Jared gave the ladies one last look before telling his friends about his plans. Malcolm half listened. His mind replayed his conversation with Devin. He was behaving as if he were better for Kenyatta. If he’d met her under different circumstances, and wasn’t her boss, then yes he would have actively pursued her. But none of that mattered. He was her boss, and he didn’t sleep with employees. Even if she didn’t work for him, she was now engaged to another man. He needed to remember that and forget her.

  Chapter 4

  Kenyatta arrived at Mike and Joi’s house thirty minutes after leaving the office. They lived in the rapidly expanding northeast part of Columbia. Their neighborhood consisted of well-manicured lawns around houses well out of her price range.

  Brad answered the door. She analyzed his tall, slender frame and sandy complexion. His gray eyes were warm as he grinned at her. When she’d first met him, she thought they were cold; the gray reminded her of a storm cloud. Over time she got over that, but she still preferred warm chocolate eyes.

  She saw security when she looked at Brad. His inability to cause her heart to flutter with a look was one of the reasons she was with him. Brad wouldn’t play games with her emotions; he didn’t have a problem with taking things slow, or making her feel wanted. It was different from the usual rush of excitement and desire that led her to make foolish decisions in the past.

  Brad smiled broadly and pulled her into his arms. “Finally, you’re here. You look beautiful.” He ran his hands up and down her spine. “You smell good, too.”

  Kenyatta pushed back the wave of panic and slowly slid out of his embrace. Brad was more persistent with his advances lately. He’d been more patient than other guys she dated, and now that she’d agreed to marry him, he had a right to want more, but she wasn’t ready to go there yet. A warning bell went off in her head that was a reason to give the ring back now, but she ignored it.

  “Thanks, Brad. Where’s Mike?” she looked over his shoulder.

  “He’s out back with Joi. What’s the rush? Can’t we catch up?” he reached over to take her hand.

  “We just saw each other last night. What’s to catch up on?”

  “We weren’t engaged before.”

  He reached out and touched her left ear. “You’re missing an earring. Hard day at work?”

  She let go of his hand and stepped out of his reach. “Yeah, but I have some exciting news.”

  “About work?”

  “Yes.”

  He waved his hand as if to dismiss it. “We’ll talk about that later. Let’s go out back.”

  She placed a hand on her hip. “Why do you do that? Act as if it’s nothing important when I want to talk about my job?”

  Brad reached over and took her face in his hands. “Kenyatta, let’s not do this here, please. I do care about your day, but we’re here to have fun with friends. Not talk about work. Can we do that?”

  She wanted to argue, but he was right. They didn’t need to have this conversation at a friend’s house. It would make the rest of the night uncomfortable. She nodded, and he kissed her on the forehead before they headed to the back of the house.

  When they walked out onto the deck, Mike and Joi were sitting at the patio table drinking lemonade and talking. Mike jumped up and pulled her into a huge hug, his bear-like frame surrounding her. She gulped in air when he put her down.

  “Hey, girl! Brad gave us the good news. Welcome to the family.”

  Joi stood up and gave Kenyatta a less confining hug. She was a petite woman who always reminded Kenyatta of what a perfect wife should be. Sweet, soft-spoken, and she completely adored her husband. She hoped Brad realized that she and Joi were different people. Joi was happy to stay at home, whereas Kenyatta did not want to give up her career.

  “Congratulations, we’re so excited,” Joi said, holding Kenyatta’s hand in hers.

  “Thanks, guys, but let’s not make a big deal out of it.” She smiled weakly.

  Mike frowned. “Why not? My boy’s been bursting at the seams. I thought you’d be the same way.”

  “She’s just overwhelmed,” Brad cut in. “It’ll take some getting used to.” He placed his arm around Kenyatta and pulled her close.

  Mike didn’t seem convinced, but luckily, Joi saved Kenyatta from a reply.

  “You’re right on time. I just finished dinner. Will you help me bring it out so we can eat?”

  Kenyatta nodded, pulled away from Brad, and followed Joi to the kitchen to bring the meal out on the deck. While they ate, Mike and Brad talked about work — which she thought was ironic considering he didn’t want to discuss work with her — while Joi asked Kenyatta her thoughts on the wedding. She once again fought back queasiness as she talked about it, while holding dinner down.

  After dinner, the four of them played spades. Although Joi was soft spoken, when it came to playing cards, she was competitive. Any lingering uneasiness left Kenyatta once the conversation about the engagement was over. She and Brad were beating Mike and Joi, and as they talked junk, her earlier queasiness about the wedding evaporated. They argued and laughed through three games — Kenyatta and Brad winning two — before calling it a night and agreeing to get together soon.

  Brad followed Kenyatta to her townhouse where they settled on the couch to watch NCIS. This was what she wanted: to be able to sit and enjoy someone’s company after a long day. Brad put his arm around her, and she smiled as she leaned against him.

  “Guess what happened today?” she said during the commercial break.

  Brad didn’t take his eyes off the television. “I hate guessing, just tell me what happened.”

  Kenyatta shook off her frustration. He was always so damn serious.

  “Malcolm asked me to do the presentation for Jeremy at the conference next week.” That got his attention, she thought, as he turned to look at her fully. “Jeremy’s mother died, and he had to leave town indefinitely. Because I worked so hard on this project, they’re letting me present it.” She couldn’t mask the excitement in her voice.

  “Why would they give you so much responsibility? Do they realize if you mess up it will reflect badly on the entire company?” When she frowned, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. “I’d just hate to see you upset when that happens.”

  She pulled away. “What do you mean, when that happens? Do you think I’m going to mess up?”

  She tried to stand up, but he stopped her with a firm hand on he
r arm. “Kenyatta, don’t get so upset. I don’t think you’ll intentionally mess up, but remember how nervous you get when speaking in public.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I can’t believe Mr. Summers approved this. I thought you said he didn’t feel you were ready for a bigger role in the office.”

  “I think Malcolm is the reason I was given the chance,” Kenyatta answered.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I don’t understand why he continues to encourage you knowing that you’ll be leaving after the wedding.” Brad snapped.

  Disbelief and annoyance burst within her. “You know, it’s funny how you keep wishing my supervisor will stop giving me opportunities to advance my career.”

  This time when she attempted to stand, he didn’t stop her. She paced in front of the couch for a few seconds before turning quickly toward him. “You know that I don’t plan on quitting my job, Brad. You also know how much this means to me. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to prove myself for three years, and I’m finally getting the chance. Why don’t you support me on this?”

  Brad stood and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Kenyatta, I really don’t want to go through this again. You know I support you to a certain extent, but I don’t want you working forever. We’re getting married, and we’re going to have children. I’m not putting my kids in daycare or paying some person to sit with them all day when you can take care of them yourself. My mom spent all of my childhood chasing her career, I don’t want that for my kids.”

  “I’m not your mother. I’ll be there for my kids.” She said.

  “But can you always be there? Or will you skip recitals, soccer games, and school plays because you have to work late?”

  She had no argument for that. She often worked long hours and after Orlando, would probably travel a lot more. But kids were in the future. Right now she was young, and her career was just taking off. She needed him to understand what she wanted out of life.

  She gently pushed his hands from her shoulders. “Brad, kids are far in our future. We don’t have to settle this now.”