Troubled Waters (Oceans of Love Book 1)

by Nia Arthurs

  Realizing that no one was prepared to budge, Rene cupped a hand over her ear and leaned forward. “Is that Errol I hear?”

  The reaction was immediate. Women vaulted over desks, climbed over chairs and scrambled to exit the office until Kelly and Rene were the only two female employees left.

  “I should thank you.”

  “I’ll take my payment in the form of the truth.” Kelly glanced around and Rene assured her. “Nobody’s here. Dish. Why were you and Benjamin Levy locked in the meeting room for five minutes?”

  “He wanted to return my earring.”

  “Your mom’s?” Rene’s eyes widened. “How did you lose it?”

  “There was an accident in the lobby.”

  “I’m guessing it involved Mr. Levy?”

  “I might have… sort of kissed him.”

  “What?” Rene gaped. “You ki—” She covered her mouth and hissed. “You kissed him?”

  “I was rushing. I tripped. Our lips smacked together. That was it. My earring came off in the scuffle and he returned it to me after promising to forget that entire episode ever happened.”

  “You flung yourself at Benjamin Levy! Way to step up, girl!” Rene offered her hand for a high-five.

  Kelly rejected her friend’s congratulations. “It didn’t mean anything.”

  “That’s a heck of a way to get a man to notice you.”

  “Didn’t you hear me? I said: It. Was. An. Accident. I didn’t want it to happen. You know I don’t play around with men from work. I don’t even look at people who work in this building. That’s how serious I am.”

  “He must have liked it if he kept you back,” Rene said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

  Kelly threw her arms in the air. “Forget it. Get out!”

  “Calm down. I’m leaving.” Rene tossed a wink at Kelly. “I have a feeling this particular guy might change your mind about in-office dating.”

  “Good bye, Rene.” Kelly switched on her computer and pretended to be engrossed in the spreadsheets, but Rene’s words echoed in her head so that she could barely read the screen.

  The truth was… Kelly had a feeling Benjamin Levy would do his best to change her mind too.

  Work My Body

  After work, Kelly headed to the gym near her house. She’d been a member for two years—thanks to Clayton. Her man’s frequent complaint was that his wife never tried to look attractive anymore.

  And who could blame her? After ten years, two kids and a cheating husband, Leshawna’s body had morphed into something her twenty-year-old self would never have allowed.

  Before getting involved with Clayton, Kelly rarely paid attention to her weight. She was a solid five-foot-eight and rocked her fluffy middle and love handles like a boss. Who had time to count every calorie and exhaust themselves in a sweaty gym?

  After Clayton made a comment about her weight, however, she’d made the time.

  To be honest, she didn’t remember exactly what Clayton had said. They’d been in the beginning stages of their relationship, and Kelly had been very insecure about where they stood.

  Whether or not Clay had meant for her to act on his observation, she’d joined a gym the next day and worked fiercely to keep herself firm and desirable.

  Strangely, what had started as a way to keep her man had changed into something much more meaningful. Now, Kelly kept in shape because she loved it.

  Working out at the gym was a lot like dancing at the club. She had music blaring from her head phones, sweat pouring down her body and men admiring her behind in huddled groups.

  The health benefits of staying fit and active were beautiful perks that she couldn’t ignore. Even after she found the courage to break up with Clayton (if she ever did), Kelly would keep on exercising.

  Kelly strolled into the gym bathroom and changed out of her work clothes. She wiggled into the sports bra, yoga pants and tennis shoes she’d stowed away in her cupboard at the office, and then walked toward the elliptical machines. The eyes of every male turned her way as she strode down the hall.

  She caught a glimpse of her reflection in passing and stopped to admire her trim physique and flat stomach. Her cleavage was on point and her stomach smooth and toned. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her face free of makeup, she felt natural and pretty.

  Too bad Clayton was too much of a dunce to appreciate it.

  Kelly stepped onto the elliptical machine and huffed to the beat of the song in her ear. She had just gotten into the groove when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing over, she spotted a familiar face.

  “Excuse me,” the man said in a thick Jamaican accent. “Is this thing working?”

  Her eyebrows shot up and Kelly snapped her fingers. That Jamaican twang and those massive arms belonged to the DJ that had hyped up the crowd last night.

  “Hey, you’re DJ Talon.”

  He seemed surprised that she’d recognized him. “Yes, that’s me.”

  “I loved your set last night. I was at Club Royal when you spun.”

  “Wow.” His eyes dipped from her face to the cleavage revealed by the sports bra to the tight outline of her privates in the yoga pants. “I should have paid more attention last night.”

  “It’s okay. I was included in the shout out to all the girls who love to dance.”

  “Next time, come up to the booth. I’ll give you a personal shout out.”

  “Sure.” She tilted her head and smiled flirtatiously. “Now, let me see about this machine. You’ve got to know which ones to use or they’ll frustrate you to kingdom come.”

  Kelly leaned over to fiddle with the buttons. She could feel Talon’s regard and couldn’t help but push her rear out a little extra to give him what he was looking for. He sighed in appreciation so she made sure to turn around so that he could see down her blouse before she straightened.

  “There,” she said, leaning on the bars of the elliptical. “It should work now.”

  “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No thanks needed.”

  “How about dinner?”

  “I have a man.”

  “That’s okay. It’s just a meal.”

  Kelly eyed him. As a DJ, Talon had probably played the circuit. He wasn’t handsome, but he was suave—the kind that had girls rotating in his bed every night. She wasn’t looking for casual sex, maybe if she’d been younger, but those days were long gone.

  Beyond the consequences of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, Kelly was at a point in her life when she wanted to settle down. With Clayton. Still, if that ever changed, she’d call Talon first.

  “No thanks.”

  “Alright.” Talon ducked his head and accepted defeat. “Can we at least exercise together then?”

  “You can take this one.” She sashayed to the machine right beside his. “I’ll work my own.”

  He pressed a hand to his chest and sent her a grin. “Every man has to start somewhere.”

  Kelly hid her smile by ducking her head toward her cell phone and setting up another song in her playlist. Eventually, Talon figured out that she was ignoring him and moved on to another section of the gym.

  Kelly did not bemoan the loss.

  After working herself to a frothing sweat, she slipped on a T-shirt over her sports bra and walked home. The streets were filled with pedestrians enjoying the last dregs of the evening sunlight before darkness claimed the sky.

  Buses honked their horns and the squeal of tires gave a rhythm to the city that no other district in Belize could imitate. Coconut trees grew like weeds along the lawns of residential homes and the scent of jasmine wafted from a bush where the flowers grew profusely over the gate.

  High on exercise endorphins and on life, Kelly thought of Clayton. Would he heed her warning and make himself scarce for the night or crawl back so they could finish what they’d cut short earlier that morning?

  As she neared her apartment building, Kelly mentally skimmed the groceries in her fridge. Would i
t be enough to make a meal for them to share? Clayton rarely ate with her, claiming it was hard for him to explain why he came to his wife with a full appetite.

  She had learned to soak up every meal as his personal form of affection. Maybe she could convince him if he stopped by tonight.

  “Whoa! Excuse me!” A voice yelled just as a workman sidestepped her, carrying a large canoe in his hands.

  Kelly froze on the sidewalk, noticing the large moving van idling on the street for the first time. Had the landlord finally found someone to fill the penthouse?

  Since she’d been at the apartment complex, the suite had been empty. The room used to belong to the Prime Minister’s daughter, but since she had migrated to Cayo, it lay dormant. Few Belizeans were willing to spend so much on rent—even if the place did come with floor-to-ceiling windows, a killer view and stainless steel appliances.

  Who was the pitiful sucker that had gotten into a world of debt now?

  She shrugged and climbed the steps to her floor, her ponytail swinging behind her. Someone was coming down as she went up. Kelly waited for the man to clear the stairs and when he stood still, she glanced up, her eyes flaming with annoyance.

  Every harsh word that sprung to her tongue crystalized and shattered into a million pieces when they locked eyes. Her gaze ran down Benjamin Levy’s thick brown hair crushed beneath a red cap, strong eyebrows, blue eyes, and plump lips. She continued further—past the grey wife beater that exposed his muscled arms with a cross tattoo winding up his tan skin, past the frayed jeans that hung deliciously low on his waist.

  The clothing change was such a difference that it was hard to relate the Benjamin Levy in the business suit to the guy with a backwards hat on and a tattoo sleeve on his arm.

  “Hey!” Benjamin’s voice was far more cheerful than the occasion called for. He seemed genuinely happy to see her.

  “Hi,” she said quietly. “What are you doing here?”

  Before he could answer, one of the workers appeared at the bottom of the landing. “Mr. Levy, do you want the table in the guest room?”

  “Yes, thank you.” He nodded at the man and then returned his attention to Kelly. “I just moved in.”

  Her smile grew brittle. “That’s… great. ”

  “Don’t tell me you live here too?”

  She nodded.

  Benjamin blew out a breath and lifted his cap to turn it in the correct direction. “I guess we’re neighbors.”

  “I guess so.”

  He smiled, the grin transforming his face and blowing the roof off her attraction meter. “Have a nice evening. It looks like I’ll be seeing you around more often than we expected.”

  “That’s… great.” She croaked, unable to say much of anything else.

  With one last smile, Benjamin Levy took the stairs two at a time and disappeared out the door. As soon as he was gone, Kelly wilted against the wall and lifted her shirt from her sweaty skin.

  This was not happening.

  How could she keep her work and her personal life separate, when her super hot boss lived upstairs?

  You From The Star

  Clayton did not come over that night. Kelly wasn’t sure if he was avoiding her out of spite or if he’d made up with Leshawna. She ate a lonely dinner of Ramen noodles and beer before turning in and begging sleep to claim her.

  When she woke up the next morning, her eyes lingered on the ceiling. Her thoughts lazily wandered to the man upstairs. What was he doing right now? Was he awake? Sleeping? Where did he sleep? Was his bed in another room? Right over hers? Did he sleep in pajama bottoms or boxers?

  She wiped the image of a scantily clad Benjamin Levy from her mind and rapped her knuckles against her forehead.

  “You do not think about your boss like that,” she scolded. The instructions seemed to work and Kelly was able to drive all imaginings of her new neighbor away… until they met in the ground floor of their building forty minutes later.

  Benjamin Levy had replaced the casual clothes he’d sported yesterday for a pressed white shirt, grey tie, and black slacks. His baby blues sparkled in the morning light and he watched her as she climbed the last steps and stopped directly across from him.

  “Good morning,” he said, his deep voice hinting at his cheerful mood. Did this man always look so… refreshed? She would pay to see him annoyed. It would probably be very sexy. Not that she cared.

  “You don’t have to talk to me, you know,” Kelly said, adjusting her purse straps. “You can ignore me if we happen to pass each other during the day.”

  “Ignore you?” He seemed offended by the concept. “Why would I do that?”

  Several answers popped into Kelly’s head. Because he was her boss. Because they barely knew each other. Because—for some reason that she couldn’t name—he was crazily attractive to her and she didn’t want the temptation.

  “It was just a thought,” she said and started to walk away. “See you at work.”

  “Just a moment.” Benjamin took three large strides to catch up to her and pressed a hand to her shoulder.

  The touch sent electricity tingling down her arm and she froze, her face screwing up in frustration. Why did this man keep affecting her? He was handsome, sure—but Kelly had seen and rejected plenty of handsome men in her lifetime.

  Benjamin Levy misunderstood her expression and removed his hand, raising it above his head in surrender. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “What is it?” she huffed and impatiently waved her fingers toward the door. “I have to catch the bus.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “You don’t have a car?”

  “Does everyone have to own a car?”

  “No,” he said and smiled charmingly. “I apologize. I met someone who knew you yesterday and he gave me the impression that you drove to work.”

  She gasped. “Did you meet Clayton?”

  “That name sounds familiar. Is he your friend?”

  “He’s my…” She hesitated, unwilling to share her sordid relationship with someone from work. Kelly shook her head. “I’m going to be late for the bus.”

  “You can ride with me.” He swung his keys around his finger. “I’ve got room.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” She walked backward. “I don’t want any rumors to start at the office.”

  “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Happens to the best of us.” She waved. “See yah.”

  Without waiting to hear his response, Kelly dashed out of the apartment building and didn’t stop until she had boarded a bus. She grabbed the last available seat and rocked with the vehicle as it rode the highway.

  All around her, children sat in white uniforms, their hands clutching ratty lunchboxes and giant school bags. Adults in grey shirts and khakis ducked their heads toward their phones.

  The racial diversity present in the bus was a vivid picture of Belize’s melting pot of cultures. Hispanics, Creoles, Garifunas, Mayas, and even Mennonites filled the seats, sitting near each other without fuss—a testament to the mostly harmonious mentality of her people.

  The simple appearance of a united humanity made her smile. Kelly had rejected many opportunities to purchase a car (or have one gifted to her) for this very reason. Riding the bus was cathartic. It reminded her that the tiny world she moved in—though limited—was a part of a larger picture. It gave her hope that whatever she was going through, she wasn’t alone.

  It was hard to explain, but she figured it was a healthy obsession.

  When she finally climbed off the bus and walked into the Yasser Center, Kelly stopped in the lobby. The place where her embarrassing ‘encounter’ with Benjamin Levy occurred seemed normal as ever.

  The tiles gleamed in the sunlight stealing through the large French windows. Workers carrying briefcases and leather purses clopped their heels all over the floor, unmindful of the embarrassing kiss that was birthed there.

  Sighing, Kelly boarded the elevators and walked into her office. Rene poppe
d out of her seat at the receptionist’s desk as soon as she spotted her.

  “I’ve been thinking about it all last night.”

  Kelly groaned wearily. “What now?”

  “Don’t give me ‘tude.” Her friend tapped the back of her head. “Even though you kissed him, I don’t think you should get involved with Benjamin Levy.”

  “Could you yell that a little louder for the entire building to hear?” Kelly hissed.

  “Sorry.” Rene lowered her voice. “Let’s talk in your office.”

  “Let’s not.”

  Rene ignored her and followed Kelly into the Business Administration Department. Her hazel eyes beamed and her beautiful face reflected her excitement. Kelly wished Rene would find something else to keep her occupied.

  “So yesterday I did a proper research on Benjamin Levy and the Levy assets.”

  “Am I the only one who hasn’t googled the man?” Kelly muttered.

  “Listen!” Rene delivered a stinging whip to Kelly’s arm. “I don’t think you should get involved with this guy. He’s on another level, Kel. I’m talking fully loaded bank account, fancy dinner parties, traveling the world in a private jet—the works.”

  “Not that I’m interested,” Kelly said. “But why is that a bad thing?”

  “I know we’re always joking about snagging a rich guy.” Rene shook her head so that her mini-twists slapped her brown cheeks. “I wish Randal would get his act together and keep a job. Your girl knows what it means to want financial stability—”

  “Get to the point, Ren. I’ve got work to do.”

  “He might act all humble and normal, but the truth is our C.E.O. is not just from another world. He’s from another galaxy. They’ve got articles about his family in Forbes. Forbes, Kelly! It might seem like an easy squeeze, but I’d stay far away and keep my nose clean this time.”

  “I’m involved with Clayton,” Kelly said. “My days of messing around with multiple men are over.”

  “Then why do I feel so nervous?” Rene clutched her stomach. “Whenever I think abut it…” She shivered. “It’s not just about losing your job if they find out you’re playing with Benjamin. If—God forbid—you both wanted something more long term, his world would chew you up and spit you out. Find someone else. Okay?”