Southern Love

by Synithia Williams

  “Kenyatta, you look beautiful,” Brad’s dad said. Greg Johnson had a thicker build than his son’s and a touch of gray in his otherwise jet-black hair, but other than that, they looked just alike.

  “Thank you, Mr. Johnson.”

  “Brad will have to stick close to keep all the other guys off you tonight,” he said with a wink.

  Brad settled in the chair beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. “I certainly plan to, Dad.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek.

  Kenyatta’s mom patted her hand and smiled at her daughter with an I-told-you-so look in her eyes. Kenyatta stifled a groan and looked around the room as conversations began around the table. She didn’t even try to fool herself into thinking she wasn’t looking for Malcolm. The room was huge, and it would be nearly impossible to see him from her table.

  “I’m going to say hey to Carol and Angie.” She leaned over to tell Brad.

  “I’ll come with you,” he said rising. She tried to hide her disappointment as he pulled out her chair and hoped he didn’t plan to shadow her all night.

  Two hours later, she realized that was exactly what he planned to do. He followed her everywhere. He chatted with Carol and Angie, introduced her to his new clients, asked her to dance and went to the bathroom at the same time she did. Kenyatta wasn’t able to get a moment alone. She eventually discovered that Malcolm and Jessica were only a few tables away, and then she’d felt Malcolm’s gaze on her all night. It drove her crazy that she couldn’t get a minute alone with him. She had to watch him dance with Jessica while she danced with Brad and wished she could reverse their positions. She was desperate to know what he was thinking after their afternoon encounter, but stood no chance to talk to him with Brad stuck to her side all night.

  Kenyatta and Brad were talking with Carol and her husband when Brad’s father joined them. She hoped he was there to take Brad away. His constant presence was smothering and she was veering closer to no longer being able to contain her animosity.

  “Brad, I want you to come over and talk to the new mayor. The city is looking for a new head of their legal department, and it may be a good opportunity for you.”

  Brad hesitated. Kenyatta wondered why he felt the need to guard her all night. Just like in the car, she sensed he knew about her and Malcolm, but dismissed it. He would have to be psychic to know what happened.

  “Sure, I’m on my way.” He turned to Kenyatta. “Come with me. I think you should meet the new mayor as well, especially since you’re stepping out with that new firm. You could possibly get new business with the city.”

  Carol snapped her fingers. “Kenyatta, I really need to talk to you about that issue with my boss. Stay here with me while Brad goes off with his father.”

  Kenyatta gave Carol a grateful look. “Sure, Brad, you go and handle your business. I’ll stay here and talk with Carol.” She smiled sweetly at him.

  “I’d really like for you to meet him. It would be good for your company,” Brad replied with a hint of steel in his voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Nonsense, you can leave her side for a second,” Brad’s father spoke up. “C’mon, son, before someone else snags his attention.”

  Brad looked from his father to Kenyatta and then scanned the room. It was obvious his dad wanted him to meet the mayor alone, and it was equally obvious that Brad did not intend to leave Kenyatta unattended.

  He turned back to Kenyatta and kissed her cheek. “I’ll only be gone for a minute. Stay here with Carol.” He placed his hand on her elbow and squeezed slightly.

  Kenyatta shrugged out of his embrace. “Brad, it’s no big deal if you leave my side for a minute. Just go.”

  His jaw clenched briefly before he answered. “Fine, but I’ll be right back.”

  “What’s up with him?” Carol asked as soon as Brad walked away. “He’s sticking to you like white on rice. I knew he was clingy, but never like this.”

  “Yeah, I’ve never seen Brad this determined to keep you in his sight,” Greg chimed in.

  Kenyatta shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if he’s spying on me.”

  Carol’s eyes instantly went on alert. “What? Why would you say that?”

  “It’s nothing. I guess he just wants to be close tonight. Maybe he senses what I need to tell him,” Kenyatta’s voice trailed off.

  Carol slid closer to Kenyatta. “What do you have to tell him?” Her voice dripped with anticipation.

  Kenyatta looked at her friend and wished Greg weren’t there. She suddenly needed to tell someone everything that had happened that afternoon. She’d have to come clean about her entire history with Malcolm. Although she had mentioned her attraction to Malcolm, she’d never admitted her true feelings to her friends.

  “I need to talk to you,” she said in an urgent whisper. Before her friend could reply, the back of her neck tingled. She didn’t have to turn around to know Malcolm was behind her. Only the smell of his cologne and the heat from his body caused her body to react that way.

  She turned to him before he even spoke. He smiled at her and took her hand.

  “Will you dance with me?”

  As the first strains of Jagged Edge’s “I Gotta Be” reached her ears, she smiled and again pictured the two of them on her desk.

  “I’d love to.”

  They walked away from a dumbstruck Carol onto the dance floor.

  Chapter 25

  Malcolm had been waiting for an opportunity to be alone with Kenyatta since seeing her in the parking lot. He couldn’t focus on anything else. He knew he was being neglectful to Jessica, but he was only there with her as a favor. He wasn’t rude and had been attentive to her needs. He got her food, danced with her, and pulled out her chair, but his mind wasn’t on her. The only thing he could think about was Kenyatta, where she was and what she was doing.

  As he watched Brad affix himself to her side, he’d thought about walking over and physically removing her from Brad’s grasp. It was a primitive reaction, one he wasn’t proud of, but he felt it nonetheless. After their afternoon together, he couldn’t fathom hiding his feelings for her anymore.

  And so, the moment Brad walked away, he asked her to dance. Jessica was off talking with coworkers, so his dancing with another woman wouldn’t appear to be completely inappropriate. He hadn’t even cared what song was playing, as long as he got time alone with her. But when the band began playing “I Gotta Be,” he’d sent a quick prayer of thanks to heaven. The words of the song described his feelings perfectly.

  When they reached the dance floor, he pulled Kenyatta in his arms a bit too close for their working relationship. He put his hand on her waist and marveled at how good it felt to hold her. He smiled as he realized he’d have plenty of time to learn every way their bodies fit together.

  “I thought he would never leave.”

  Kenyatta rolled her eyes. “I felt the same.”

  “I’m glad he finally did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the chance to dance with you.” He pulled her closer. “I’m coming to your house tonight.”

  He saw the desire flash in her eyes before she looked away. She bit her lower lip and avoided eye contact.

  He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  She hesitated for only a second before answering. “I don’t think you should come. This afternoon was — ”

  “What we’ve both been waiting for,” he finished for her.

  “Yes … no. Malcolm, it was reckless. Reckless and stupid. We didn’t even use protection.” She finally looked at him.

  Anxiety clouded her eyes. He knew it was reckless, but he didn’t regret it. And he didn’t want her to regret it, either. “Last month.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Last month was the last time I was tested for HIV,” he said.

  �
��Why would you say that?”

  “If that’s what’s bothering you about today, I thought it would make you feel better.”

  She smiled. “It does a little.” She looked away briefly. “I was tested at my yearly physical two months ago … if it makes you feel better.”

  He hadn’t worried about her HIV status before, but he was happy to hear she was clean.

  “But that’s not the only reason it was reckless. We didn’t even think about the consequences. We aren’t even truly single.”

  “I am,” he said. “I told you Jessica and I have been through since I came back from Orlando. When are you going to tell Brad about us?”

  “We don’t even know if there is an us,” she hedged.

  “Kenyatta, there is an us. I thought we agreed to find out where this would go. Why are you hesitating?”

  “Because I don’t know if you really want me or if you just want to fuck me,” she said in a rush.

  The intensity of her response surprised him. He knew more than lust attracted him to her. He wasn’t ready to put a name on it and was somewhat afraid to explore the depth of his feelings, but he knew he wanted to do more for her than any woman he’d known. He cared about her and wanted to protect her from the evils of the world. He wanted to lie beside her at night and wake up with her in the morning. He felt certain that if things kept going as they were, he could easily love her, but he was hesitant to tell her that too soon; she’d think he was crazy.

  “Kenyatta, what I feel for you is a lot more than lust,” he said. “Yes, I do want to sleep with you. I’ve been dreaming about it since I first laid eyes on you, but it’s much more than that. I want to spend time with you. I enjoy talking with you, and I’m going to miss working with you. I don’t know what this is between us yet, but I do know I’ll regret if for the rest of my life if I don’t find out where we can go.”

  Malcolm watched the play of emotions across her face. He’d laid it all on the line. Now anxiety churned in his stomach as he waited for her response.

  Her eyes met his and they were soft and glowing with so much emotion it took his breath away. She smiled and said, “I believe you.”

  Happier than he’d ever been it took everything in him not to jump for joy like a kid. Instead, he grinned at her. “When are you going to tell Brad?”

  Kenyatta’s smile faltered and she looked away. “It’s more than breaking up. It’s calling off a wedding, and I have to do this gently. He thinks everything between us is fine. I don’t know how to do it without breaking his heart.”

  “To hell with his heart,” His hand moved lower to the curve of her back. “All I care about is letting the world know we’re together. When are you going to break up with him?”

  “Soon.”

  “Not good enough.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Tonight. You need to break it off tonight.”

  “Why tonight?”

  “Because I told you that I’m coming to you tonight. I don’t like sleeping with another man’s fiancée.”

  She smiled. “It didn’t stop you this afternoon.”

  He lowered his head, placing his mouth near her ear. “He was the farthest thing from my mind this afternoon. Tonight, when I take my time with you, I want to know that you are truly free.”

  She gasped. “I’ll tell him tonight.”

  He lifted his head and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be there at midnight.”

  Her eyes widened. “We don’t leave here until midnight.”

  “Then find an excuse to leave early. I want you again.” Desire burned in her eyes and it set him on fire. With every move they made, her breasts rubbed against him, further increasing his arousal. He pressed the proof of his desire into her and she rubbed against it. His breathing hitched.

  She licked her lips. “Midnight,” she whispered.

  He smiled and began to softly sing the words of the song to her.

  Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know you could sing.”

  He remembered her teasing about his singing abilities in Orlando. His velvet voice was one talent he was proud of. He’d happily sing anything to her. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but you will.”

  As he sang to her, it was as if everyone else disappeared. He wasn’t one to believe in fairytales, but finally having Kenyatta made him want to sweep her off her feet and out of the ball like a prince. But the song ended, and they had to go back to their dates.

  He took her hand and kissed it softly. “I’ll see you soon.”

  She looked at the edge of the dance floor where Brad was waiting. The fairytale was over.

  Her lips twisted. “Not soon enough.”

  Malcolm slowly released her hand and fought back the need to leave with her. Instead, he looked for Jessica so they could leave. And he could start his night with Kenyatta.

  Chapter 26

  Kenyatta took a second to admire the confidence in Malcolm’s stride before turning to face Brad. His body was stiff as he marched toward her.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Brad demanded.

  “Dancing with my boss,” she replied. Her defenses rose at his tone of voice.

  “Boning your boss on the dance floor is more like it.” He took her arm and pulled her aside. “Are you trying to disrespect me in public? It’s bad enough that you — ”

  “That I what?”

  Brad took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He held himself rigid as the anger radiated from him. She’d never seen him this angry before. There was madness in his eyes that made her uneasy.

  “You know what?” He spoke softly. “We’re leaving.”

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, but she blamed it on guilt She’d end their relationship that night, regardless of how difficult it would be. She couldn’t let Brad continue to think they were going to spend their lives together.

  “Fine, I’m ready to go. We need to talk anyway.”

  “There won’t be any talking tonight.”

  Her eyes snapped to his. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He sneered. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  He grabbed her arm painfully and pulled her close. “It’s not a threat. It’s just a reminder that you’re my fiancée. I haven’t forgotten what we were supposed to do tonight.”

  “Brad, that’s what we need to talk about. Let me go, you’re hurting my arm!”

  “There won’t be much talking,” he repeated, but he did release his grip on her arm.

  “Is everything alright here?” her dad asked, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

  Kenyatta nodded and attempted to smile. “Yes, everything is fine, Dad. We’re just getting ready to go.”

  Her dad eyed Brad warily. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, everything’s okay.” She looked at Brad. “Right, Brad?”

  Brad nodded stiffly. “I’ll go say goodbye to my parents.”

  Her dad watched Brad walk away. “I don’t like the way he grabbed you. Has he done that before?”

  “What? No. He’s just upset about me dancing with Malcolm.”

  “Well you two were dancing kind of close out there.”

  She sighed and looked at her dad. “I know, but that’s because … I can’t stay with Brad anymore.”

  He looked at her with unveiled surprise. “Where is this coming from?”

  “I have feelings for Malcolm. I don’t know if it’s right or if I’m making a mistake, but I have to explore it, Dad, I can’t marry Brad when I feel this way.”

  Her dad’s eyes searched her face before he nodded. “Well, baby, you know that I support you in whatever you choose.”

  She sighed and smiled at him. “Thanks, Dad.”


  “What’s up with Brad?” Angie asked as she and Carol walked up. “He looks like he wants to murder someone.”

  Her dad narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. “Maybe I should take you home.”

  Kenyatta shook her head. “No, Brad and I have some things to discuss. Everything will be fine once that’s done.”

  Carol reached over to take Kenyatta’s hand. “I’ve seen that look before, Kenyatta. If you need me, just call.”

  Kenyatta was more irritated than comforted. Before Carol had met her husband, she’d been in an abusive relationship. It was not the first time Carol alluded to the situation when talking about Brad, but Kenyatta dismissed her. They were all overreacting. Brad might’ve been upset, but he wouldn’t hit her.

  “Don’t be silly. He’s just jealous. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Brad returned, and after hastily telling Kenyatta, “Let’s go,” he acknowledged her dad and friends with a clipped, “Good night.” He took her by the hand and they left.

  A tense silence filled the car as Brad drove Kenyatta home. She knew he was upset about her dancing with Malcolm, but she didn’t understand why he was so angry. Although Brad had confided in her parents about something possibly going on between her and Malcolm, he’d never said anything to her directly. He’d usually been cordial to Malcolm whenever they met, but then she remembered Malcolm telling her how Brad had warned him to keep his eyes off her. Maybe he suspected more than she realized. That could explain his anger.

  They arrived at her house, and she got out of the car before he turned off the engine. He followed her to the front door. She unlocked the door but didn’t open it; instead, she turned to face him.

  “Brad, you’re obviously upset, and I’m tired. I think you should go home, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  He reached around her and opened the door. “No, there are some things we need to handle tonight.”

  Kenyatta reluctantly let him in the house. It was best to go ahead and get it over with. If she broke off their engagement before Malcolm arrived, then she wouldn’t feel any more guilt about cheating on Brad.