Malcolm sighed and turned to face her. “Jessica, you know how I feel about you … ”
“No, I don’t,” she interrupted. “You never say that you love me. You don’t show affection unless we’re in bed. Sometimes I wonder why I stick around.”
“Why do you stick around? I’ve never treated you badly. Hell, even though I’m not ready to let you move in, I’ve given you a key, and you’re here most days of the week. What else do you want?” he asked.
“That’s why I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal to let me move in.” She paused. “Is there someone else?”
Malcolm scoffed. “All right, here we go with the drama.”
“I’m serious, Malcolm. What other reasons do you have for not moving this relationship along?” She paused before quietly asking. “Is it Kenyatta?
He threw down the shirt in his hands. “Where did that come from?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, okay? I’ve seen the way you look at her. I’m not stupid. I know when my man is interested in another woman. You practically idolize her. I hear you on the phone with your brother talking about your perfect protégé, Kenyatta; how great it is to work with her, and how she’s such an asset to the company. I also know how he and Devin tease you about screwing her.”
He turned away and began pulling clothes out of his bag. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t talk about Kenyatta any differently than I do my other coworkers.”
“Please, Malcolm. Just because I haven’t said anything, doesn’t mean I’m deaf and dumb. Or blind. I’ve heard your reasons for not sleeping with her, and I’m never one them.”
“Oh, so you’re eavesdropping now?” he accused.
“Don’t try to put this on me. It’s true, and we both know it, so just admit it. You’re keeping me at bay while you wait for things to eventually work out between the two of you.”
Malcolm spun to face her. “Kenyatta has nothing to do with us. She may be an excellent employee, but she has a fucked-up personal life. She’s conniving, deceitful and only out for her own personal gain. You don’t have to worry about me ever sleeping with her.”
Jessica blinked rapidly and stepped back. His outburst surprised them both. It may be an exaggeration, but right now he was angry enough to believe it. Had it been so obvious to everyone, including Jessica, that he’d carried around the smallest bit of hope he and Kenyatta would work out one day? After learning what type of woman Kenyatta was, he felt even more like a fool.
Regret filled him as he looked at Jessica’s surprised face. She was a good woman who deserved someone that appreciated her, and he wasn’t that guy. It wasn’t fair to keep her waiting around while he in turn waited for what he wanted. It was time to end things before he hurt her.
“I’m sorry for not trusting you,” she said quietly. “Look, it’s obvious that we’re not vibing tonight. I’ll just grab my stuff and go home.”
As she turned to leave, he called her name. “No, Jessica, I’m sorry. It’s been a long trip, and I’m in a bad mood about losing a contract.”
She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck. When she reached up to kiss him, he lifted his head out of reach. “But, maybe we do need to chill for a while.”
“What?” Her arms fell from around his neck.
“It’s obvious we have other issues going on. Let’s be real. We both know that things aren’t great between us. I think if we slowed down, maybe it could work out later. Plus, things at work are getting crazy, and I’m about to have even less time to spend with you than before — ”
“Are you breaking up with me?” she interrupted.
He stepped back. “I just need some time to myself so I can focus. I don’t want to upset you, but with the stress from work, I’m feeling on edge, and I might say something to hurt you.”
Malcolm knew it was a lame excuse, and he hadn’t closed the door on a possible reconciliation, but he was willing himself to believe that maybe one day, once he got Kenyatta out of his system, he and Jessica could work things out.
She motioned from her breasts to her hips. “You’re seriously going to let this go?”
He sighed and nodded. “I just need to chill for a while. Can you understand that?”
She stared at him for a second before shrugging. Her face was impassive as she spoke. “Fine, I’ll go. I need the extra time to look for another job anyway.” She moved away from him. “You do remember my car is going in the shop next week. Can I still borrow yours?”
Malcolm cringed. He’d forgotten about her car and his promise to loan her his. “I won’t leave you hanging. I’ll help you out until your car is fixed.”
“Good. And, I hope you’ll still take me to the Fire Marshall’s Ball. I can’t give back those tickets.”
Swallowing his sigh of frustration, he nodded. “Sure.”
She turned to walk out but paused and came over to him. She pressed her lips against his and palmed his penis. “Think about this while I’m gone,” she cooed as she gave him one last squeeze.
Malcolm watched her go and questioned whether he was making a big mistake. He looked down at his pants and shook his head. Nothing. Not even the start of an erection, he sighed to himself. He was probably a fool for breaking things off with Jessica, but his feelings for Kenyatta were too raw. He couldn’t string Jessica along while he dealt with that. Regardless of the reasons, it was as if a weight lifted off his chest. He’d finally let go of Jessica. It would be hard to share a car with her for a week, but the break would be better for both of them.
It wouldn’t take long to get over this thing for Kenyatta, he reasoned. He had a bruised ego that was all. It wasn’t every day a woman left his bed for another man’s within twenty-four hours. Once his stupid heart realized the type of woman Kenyatta was, he’d be over her. He just hoped his heart caught up with his brain soon.
Chapter 16
One week later, Kenyatta sat at her desk reviewing updates to a local ordinance. It was her third attempt; she’d been unable to concentrate since she and Malcolm were at odds. After Orlando, she hoped they would put the episode in her hotel room behind them, but that had not happened. Even though it hurt that he lied about sleeping with Tangy, in the end, she told herself it was for the best that Brad came and showed her what she stood to lose. She was honest enough with herself to admit she wouldn’t have considered him at all had he stayed in Columbia.
Still, she was convinced she’d seen hurt in Malcolm’s eyes, and it perplexed her. He couldn’t have cared that she reconciled with Brad. He had Tangy — and Jessica — to heal any hurts there might have been. She expected things to be awkward at work but had hoped that they could at least be professional. Instead, Malcolm had treated her with barely concealed scorn and hostility. Unless they were in a meeting together, he kept their conversations to a minimum, often dismissing her abruptly. He no longer asked her opinion on the projects they worked on, and whenever she asked him a question, he answered as if she were the last person on earth to whom he would speak.
She got angry just thinking about his behavior. She would have preferred his indifference to his hostility, especially since he was the one who’d come to her room, gotten her all hot and bothered, only to stop, leave, and go sleep with someone else. To her utter humiliation, she’d been willing to let it go as far as he wanted. Kenyatta still could not believe how easily she succumbed to passion. Her breasts ached every time she thought of Malcolm’s kisses. After three years, she’d finally submitted to the feelings she’d tried to ignore, and he had abruptly pushed her away to hook up with an old flame. No wonder their kiss didn’t appear to bother him. She dismissed the memory of how hard he was when she’d tried to unbutton his pants. Any man would get hard when caught in the throes with a willing woman in his arms. She looked down at her hand, cupped as if it were still holding that par
t of him. Warmth spread between her legs as she remembered the size of his erection.
With a groan of frustration, she stood up and walked to her office window. Maybe everything that happened did mean something more to him, but that didn’t change the fact that he pushed her away and lied to her about sleeping with Tangy. Obviously, Malcolm only wanted to fool around with her at the conference. He may have enjoyed the game of seducing her, but his better judgment won out when he remembered they worked together in a relatively small office. Gossip would spread like wildfire if they slept together. Not to mention he was still in a relationship, a happy one as far as she knew. He’d left the office early throughout the week to pick up Jessica, and she’d dropped by the office once. The fact that he could go back to Jessica after sleeping with Tangy proved he was no good. But knowing all of that didn’t ease her pain.
In addition to her physical obsession, she just felt like an idiot. She’d completely abandoned her promise to Brad at the first sign of temptation. Brad cared enough about their relationship to show up and surprise her. She still couldn’t believe how supportive he’d been. Talk about a one-eighty. It was the first time he showed genuine interest in her work; he’d even asked her questions about topics on the agenda. It was proof once again that a relationship not built on passion, like theirs, could stand the test of time.
Fortunately, Brad had agreed that their first time should be special, and he’d picked the Fire Marshal’s Ball as the special occasion. Since his dad was the fire chief for the city of Columbia and his mom was on county council, it was a given they would attend. She’d accompanied him to the Ball for the past two years, and with it looming only a week away, Kenyatta only hoped she could work up the nerve to follow through.
The memory of Malcolm’s mouth on her breasts flashed through her head, and she groaned again. She had to get him out of her mind.
“Something bothering you?” a voice interrupted her thoughts.
Kenyatta turned around quickly and saw her coworker, Jeremy, standing in her door. She hadn’t talked to him since he’d returned, and she welcomed the distraction.
“Nothing really. I was reviewing the ordinance for Sumter, and it’s giving me a headache, that’s all,” she lied and walked over to her desk.
“Is it anything you need help on?” he offered.
“No, I’m just having trouble concentrating. I haven’t really had the chance to say I’m sorry for the loss of your mother,” she said with genuine concern.
Jeremy shrugged one shoulder. “We weren’t that close before she died. I hadn’t spoken to her for over a year over something stupid.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” was the only response she could muster. Although Kenyatta and her mom didn’t always see eye to eye, she couldn’t imagine going a year or more without talking with her.
He brushed a lock of sandy-blonde hair from his eyes. “It’s no big deal. In the end, I guess she did care.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
Jeremy grinned. He looked like a kid with a big secret. “I’ll get to that soon enough. What are you doing for lunch?”
Kenyatta looked at her clock and was surprised to see it was almost one. She’d spent the entire morning obsessing over what happened between her and Malcolm.
“I didn’t notice the time. I guess I’ll just go grab something.”
“Good, come to lunch with me. There’s something I want to discuss with you.” He smiled and began to shift from foot to foot.
His excitement was so contagious she laughed. “Sure, I need a break anyway. Where do you want to go?” She saved her work and logged off the computer.
“Let’s just go to the sandwich shop across the street,” he said.
“Okay, just let me grab my purse,” she said as she gathered her things and followed him out of her office.
Once they were in the hall, she almost collided with Malcolm. He looked at her with such open hostility that Kenyatta couldn’t help but respond with a frown of her own.
“Where are you going?” Malcolm asked curtly.
“Jeremy and I are going to lunch. We’ll be back in an hour,” she replied and tried to walk past, but he held up his hand.
“Where is the ordinance for Sumter? I thought you’d have it on my desk by now.”
Annoyed that thoughts of him were the reason her edits were late, she didn’t try to hide her own hostility. “I’ve been working on it all morning and should have it ready for you to review by the end of the day.”
“See that it is,” he snapped and walked away.
Kenyatta wanted to scream, but refused to give him the satisfaction.
Jeremy watched Malcolm storm away and eyed Kenyatta’s stony expression. “What was that about?” He scrambled to match her stride as she hurried to leave the office.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The two of you have always gotten along. Now you act as if you can’t stand to be in the same room with each other.”
“It’s nothing. Just a difference of opinion.” They got on the elevator, and Kenyatta repeatedly punched the button for the first floor.
Jeremy scoffed. “Difference of opinion, my ass. What happened in Orlando? Did you sleep together or something?”
She jumped as if she’d been burned. “Why would you say that?”
Jeremy chuckled. “Why else would you come back from a conference hating each other?”
They got off the elevator and crossed the street.
“That’s not the case here,” she rebuffed. “He’s just being a pain in the ass right now.”
“Whatever you say,” was his reply.
They entered the shop and sat down at a booth near the window. They didn’t resume their conversation until after they ordered.
“So, why did you invite me to lunch?” Kenyatta asked eagerly as they both sipped their sweet teas. She didn’t want to continue their previous conversation. Jeremy had unknowingly struck a nerve, and she could only hope her and Malcolm’s change in attitude toward each other wasn’t causing the entire office to draw similar conclusions.
“Remember I mentioned that I thought my mother did still care?” he asked.
Kenyatta nodded and took a sip of her tea. “I couldn’t imagine that your mother would have stopped caring, no matter what the fight was about.”
Jeremy gave a wry smile. “That’s nice of you to say, but my mom wasn’t one to show loving emotions. I did try to call her once over the past year, but she didn’t want to talk to me. I learned afterward that was the same day she found out she had terminal lung cancer, so I guess it was just too much for her. I thought she was just angry and didn’t want to talk to me. So I never called back. She went through cancer treatment and everything without telling me.”
He paused and Kenyatta remained silent, because there really was nothing to make up for the time Jeremy lost with his mother.
He shook his head and shrugged one shoulder. “Anyway, that’s done now, and there’s nothing more to do about it. But my mom did leave me all the money she collected over her three marriages.”
“Three marriages?”
“Yeah, all of them to very wealthy men. My dad was a successful realtor. He sold million-dollar homes back in Dallas. Husband number two was a stockbroker, and husband number three was a big-time defense attorney. All of them died before she did and left her all they had. Which is surprising — she wasn’t overly affectionate with them either.” He shook his head as if he were baffled.
“Wow, some would say your mom was lucky, but I would hate to outlive three husbands.”
He looked out the window. “I think that’s one of the reasons she was so angry when I moved to South Carolina. It was another one of her men leaving her.”
“So what are you going to do with the money?” s
he asked quickly to divert his thoughts from the painful situation with his mother.
“Well, I’ve had a lot of ideas, but what I really want to do will depend on you.”
Kenyatta put down her drink. “How could your plans depend on me?”
He smiled. “Do you know Bobby Peeler?”
She nodded and he continued. “He’s been losing money and wants to sell his business to Jordan and Burke.”
“You mean that national engineering firm?” She said leaning forward. She knew from Malcolm that H20 had offered to purchase Bobby Peeler’s clients a year ago, but he’d refused.
“That’s the one. I’ve offered to buy his business instead. He’s going to sign everything over next week. I’ve also been having talks with Jordon and Burke about their plans to open a Columbia office. It appears they want the clientele Bobby has, and they’re willing to pay for it. Since it’ll be mine next week, I plan to sell it to them and become the head of their new Columbia office.”
“Wow, Jeremy, that’s great, but what does it have to do with me?” she asked.
“Next to me, you’re the best planner at H20, and I want you on my team. Between the two of us, we already have the experience and the reputation to calm any fears their current clients may have about the switch, and we’re good enough to get new clients.”
Thoughts swirled around her head like a merry-go-round. She couldn’t believe Jeremy was offering her such an opportunity. She’d thought about leaving H20, but never seriously, primarily because she’d never received an offer worthy enough. This was huge. The opportunity to start up a local firm’s franchise, if successful, would cement her career, but it was also a huge risk. While it was true that the two of them worked on the majority of H20’s analyses and that their work was well known throughout the Southeast, leaving a well-established firm to work for one that wasn’t as well known was taking a big step with no guarantee.
“Jeremy, are you serious? You’ve been with H20 for years, and you’re willing to give up everything you’ve invested in the company?” she asked.
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