***
“Hmmm, Ms. Rodriquez, Tierra, wait,” Terri called out, as Tierra walked lifelessly past her.
No one in the office at that moment was blind to the obvious and apparent agony and confusion that was displayed on Tierra’s face. Unknown to her, several men tried to stop and speak to her, but she appeared to glide across the floor to her office, closing the doors behind her.
“There you are, finally. Girl I been waiting forever!” Malcolm said.
“WHAT THE…! Oh my goodness Malcolm, you scared the shit out of me!” she snapped. “What the hell are you doing in here? And, get your damn feet off my table!” she demanded pushing his dark brown, Nubuck Clarks off her brand new coffee table.
“My bad, my bad. What crawled up your ass?”
“Listen, Malcolm, I’m so not in the mood right now for this nonsense with you, ok!” she walked over to her desk and sifted through her rolodex. “Where is it?” she screamed.
“Hey, hey,” Malcolm stood up and quickly made his way over to Tierra and wrapped his arm around her waist. “What’s got my future girl all in an uproar?” he lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.
“I just need to find Aquarian’s number. That’s all I really need right now.”
“So you have a man, after all? Why you ain’t tell me that to begin with?” he asked a little irritated.
“What are you talking about? Qu is my best friend! He’s like a brother to me.”
“Yeah, well since when do brothers, totally remodel they lil sis’s office like this? This is some serious high quality furniture you got here. He really upgraded you!”
“I wish you’d just ask a damn question! Qu ain’t upgrade me, Mr. Baxwell did! Listen Malcolm, just tell me what you want please, so you can go.”
Realizing he was about to burn his last bridge, he had to think quickly. He gingerly took Tierra’s hand in his and caressed it with his fingertips. He could feel her body trembling and smiled, sure her reaction was a result of his touch. That was until he looked down at her and saw her face moist with tears.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” he spoke with perfect sounding concern.
“I can’t talk about it, not right now.”
Malcolm, wiped her face with the handkerchief from his jacket pocket and led her over to the chaise to sit down. Normally he wouldn’t care about all at tears from a woman. Many a woman had shed tears at his confession that they were nothing serious to him. But Tierra, he thought she might be someone he could settle down with.
Tierra was silent, except for the occasional emotional inhale.
Malcolm, again took Tierra’s face in the palm of his hands. He lifted her face to his and leaned down pressing his lips to hers. Her whole body shook, but she didn’t push him away. His checks became wet as tears continued to fall from her eyes.
“It’s going to be ok,” Malcolm promised, sitting up straight.
“You have no idea,”
“Will you trust me?” he wiped her face again, this time placing the handkerchief in her hand, when he was finished. “Listen, I know you’re afraid for some reason to jump into a relationship. But I’m not asking you to do that. Just don’t shoot a brutha down before you give him a chance.”
Tierra looked at him curiously. She didn’t want to be so presumptuous as to assume he was full of it without giving him that chance. After all, the fact that he was just so tender with her in her time of need, was the exact opposite of the type of man she thought he was. Maybe she had misjudged him. Not to mention, she just kissed him. What the hell was that all about?’ she thought to herself.
“Is this your ego talking, Malcolm? Because if this is all about you being ‘the great Malcolm Turner,’ and my turning you down, you can just take yourself out of here,” she said, emotional.
Malcolm stood up, turned around, and then made eye to eye contact with her. He held her in his gaze, kneeling down in front of her, and kissed her softly on the forehead.
“Look Tierra, I’m going to be completely honest with you. Part of all this is about you turning me down, but not in the way you think. Sure, I can go anywhere and find a woman willing to go home with me. You know I’m not at a loss in that department, but I want more. I want someone who won’t put up with my BS, who will tell it to me like it is. I want someone who doesn’t care about the money, but who cares about me.”
“And what makes you think I am that woman?”
“You’ve turned me down, not once or twice, but every time. You’re not impressed with my bank account. Not impressed by the flowers or gifts. Hell Tierra, you’ve helped put half of that money in my account. You know exactly what I’m worth and it hasn’t changed how you deal with me. I know half of your clients have seriously tried to get you to go on dates with them, and they all say it’s for the same reason,” he whispered taking her hand in his.
“You are a smart, beautiful woman, who can survive on her own, yet there is still something soft, sensual, even reserved about you,” Malcolm stood up and pulled Tierra up to her feet. “You say it like it is, and you don’t tolerate any nonsense, from anyone. That’s such an attractive trait to any businessman especially one with my size bankroll. Hell, actually it’s probably a turn-on to any man.”
She fought hard to hold back the smile that was building inside. This man had her pegged. How did he figure her out? Maybe this was the sign she had been praying for, maybe Malcolm was the one. There was one way to be sure.
“Malcolm, if and I… and I do mean if, I agree to go out with you on one date, you have to promise me that if I say that’s it afterwards, you will abide by it.”
“Fine… All I need is one date,” Malcolm agreed and then asked, “Where would you like to go?”
“Pick me up Sunday morning, 10:30 a.m.”
“Alright, alright you got that, I’ll send the limo…”
“No Malcolm, you pick me up, no limo, no drivers, you! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work,” she turned and began to walk to her desk. But, Malcolm stopped her, taking her by the hand and pulling her back to him. When their body’s met, he wrapped his hand across the back of her neck and leaned in, kissing her intensely. He smiled feeling her body surrender to his touch.
“Yeah, I only need one date!” he said, releasing Tierra from his grip. She stood in the middle of her newly remolded office and watched as he departed.
Malcolm, cut his eyes at Terri as he walked past her desk and Terri rolled her eyes at him. She wasn’t impressed with him at all. In fact, she knew his type all too well.
When she heard the elevator doors close, she knocked on the double doors that led to Tierra’s office. “Ms. Rodriquez… are you ok?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Close the doors please Terri. I need to talk to you.”
“Is it about your meeting with Mr. Baxwell?”
“Yes, what he said, well it not only affects me, but it also affects you.”
“Ok lay it on me.”
Small World After All
Beautiful Page 26