Almost Perfect: A BWWM Billionaire Single Parent Romance

by Alia Thomas

  Kimberly was one who commanded her partner to be fully present, and since Richard seemed interested in filling the vacant spot, he had to be on the top of his game.

  “That’s not our building. That’s the law office of Karin & Saw. We are on the other side. I didn’t think you had a weakness Ms. Walsh. It seems geography is something I will have to help you with.”

  Dark eyes enhanced by mascara and an emotion he couldn’t identify, Kimberly turned to look at Richard. He was more than correct about her wit and intelligence. With a simple question she took the vibe in the room to a whole new level.

  “Is that all you want to help me with Richard?”

  Her once eloquent boss was reduced to nerves as he searched for a response to a very plain question. She didn’t have time to waste and wanted the cards on the table.

  “No. It is not all I want to help you with.”

  “Do tell me of your intentions.”

  “I want to get to know you outside of work. There is something about you I find intriguing and I would like to explore the possibility of us being more than boss and employee. Is it something you would consider?”

  His voice was strong and convicted, but the constant rubbing of his palms over the thighs of his corduroy slacks gave away his lack of confidence where matters of the heart were concerned.

  Happy that she wasn’t the only person nervous about this situation, Kimberly maintained her serious face while Richard sold his pitch. When he was finished Kimberly took the reins.

  “Handling a woman like me may be a challenge. I’m opinionated and I take pride in my work. My career is my main focus at this time and I enjoy time to myself. Oh, and let’s not forget -I am black.”

  Plain as day and without hesitation, the matter of race was on the table. It would have come up sooner or later. Leaning on the upholstered back of the dinner chair, Kimberly sipped the golden liquid and waited. She wanted him to acknowledge the issue. It would be a problem for her if he pretended to be color blind.

  “Well, if I were to respond to that, I would say I too am opinionated and I am currently married to my work. My business means everything to me and of course… I am white.”

  Situation deflected with a joke, they both cracked the thick air with laughter and silently decided that skin color wouldn’t be an issue -at least to them.

  Dating was a strange ritual and though humans were the inventors, they were yet to master the process. The age old dance of questions followed. In the case of boss and employee the process was the same. Richard asked about her family and she asked about his. Answering truthfully to all Kimberly asked, Richard ignored the little voice in the back of his head. It was saying, “What about Jasmine?” With much effort he turned the volume on his conscience down, and immersed himself in her stories of Auntie Audrey and her extended family. Kimberly’s history was colored by horrible events, but also comical ones. She chose only to share the ones on the lighter side.

  Lies were not always as straightforward as speaking people think. Sometimes it was omission that changed the course of things and this situation proved to be no different.

  Jasmine was precious to him and she knew no other woman with Richard than her mother. He consoled himself with the idea that things wouldn’t work out with Kimberly anyway because they never did. If things never got off the ground there would be no harm done and if they got together, then Jasmine would be addressed accordingly. Kimberly’s heart was tender. Surely, a small child would warm her heart and all would be well. Unfortunately, there were no guarantees in life and crossed fingers were sometimes all the protection that could be called upon.

  No billionaire wants to hear the story of a girl who was orphaned and often neglected. Besides, if he did, what could really be done about the past? This was a passing obsession Kimberly told herself. Her past and the truth of her life were of no consequence in this situation. Nothing would become of this little distraction, she assured herself. Richard would soon move on and she would be left with the only person she deemed reliable-herself.

  Afternoon turned to early evening and long after the food was cleared from the table, Kimberly and Richard stood admiring the lights in the city as they popped on one by one. He was in the midst of his favorite pastime, staring at her from behind, when she spun around only to be met with a broad taut torso.

  His towering height was lowered to bring them face to face and before logical thinking could intervene; Richard pressed his lips gently on hers. Her soft, sweet clouds tasted like cotton candy, melting as the taste hit his tongue leaving him longing for more.

  Kimberly yielded but then pulled away quickly. The lady her granny taught her to be was yelling loudly in her head, “You don’t know this man Kimberly Natalie Walsh. You are not an over eager slut. Take your time.” She didn’t want to obey and the arch in her back as she searched for the whisper of a kiss, betrayed her thoughts. A body untouched for a long while reacts much more quickly than any other and she was in heat.

  Finally, good morals and common sense took over and Kimberly opened her eyes to meet the blue pools of desire washing over her body. He was searching her. From head to toe he inspected her, eyes darting quickly and the spark now officially was stroked enough to incinerate the room.

  Ducking under the arm Richard had propped on the window, Kimberly narrowly escaped the second kiss currently on the way. It would not have been as gentle. He was apologizing. In no way did he want to make her feel any discomfort, but the woman’s magnetism was maddening.

  When Richard regained composure Kimberly was gathering her purse and cell phone from the table. Try as he might, he was unable to interpret her face. Was she upset? Did he cross the line? Jesus, he didn’t want to scare her away.

  “I’m going to be leaving now Mr. Damask. See you tomorrow.” With those words Kimberly closed the door and Richard was left still trying to find the words necessary to make a sentence. In a quiet room, he stood cursing the blown opportunity and wondering what he should have done differently.

  *****

  The air conditioner was turned on in the small sports car, not to cool the atmosphere, but rather, the internal heat that suddenly emanated from the crevice between Kimberly’s legs. For a split second, she almost yielded. No machine could measure the effort it took to separate her body from that of Richard Damask. Probably it was his height, but there was something about him that drew her in. His eyes were pained but a flame of resilience simmered there that made her want to know more about him.

  Protruding and rigid, his erection didn’t go without notice and only by forcing her fingers closed around a slip of tissue, did Kimberly stop herself from reaching out and stroking it. Beads of perspiration trickled down her brow as the engine of her car stirred to life and Kimberly laughed at the irony. As Richard turned the key of her heart and other places, so did she spark the engine of her vehicle. Pulling off from her parked spot only after the valet knocked on the window, she wondered if Richard preferred automatic or stick shift.

  *****

  3 am and no sleep planned to visit Richard for the second night in a row. Kimberly was an apparition, a vapor and just as quickly as she made her presence know, she misted away. Her lips were sweeter than he imagined and found his tongue passing over the spot on his lips where she left her essence. Probably if she was in a more comfortable setting she would have permitted him to sample more of her. Would it be out of place to call an employee at this hour? A glance at the clock revealed it was 3:20 and he decided not to dial her digits. As his mind cast back to the way her breasts pressed into his chest, Richard felt his blood pressure rise once again. The other head on his anatomy rose as well, much to Richard’s frustration. There would be no sleep without release and for the first time in a long while, Richard was forced to take himself in hand.

  Chapter 7

  The attorneys for the injured woman were coming in today. At 8 am two short, unrefined gentlemen walked into the office of Kimberly Walsh and in minutes, left
a bitter taste in her mouth. Money hounds by nature, they had simply picked up the scent of money and their client was the poor uninformed individual chosen for their prey.

  Mr. Lawrence was bald, wormy looking and poorly spoken. His words came out in short bursts similar to a stammer and determining what he meant to say was a challenge. The other gentleman didn’t offer much by way of interpretation as she simply nodded and echoed the last words of his comrade.

  “Mrs. Thomas has been significantly affected by the negligence of your client and we will be asking for no less than five hundred thousand dollars in damages. Personal and financial loss will also be considered on the final tally of what we feel she is rightfully owed.”

  Before Kimberly could retort to the ridiculous allegations and settlement proposal, Richard burst in without knocking and promptly took a seat on Kimberly’s side of the desk. Though a gentleman, Richard had little patience for people who sought to take advantage of others -regardless of social and financial status.

  His tirade was loud and getting louder when a vibrating sound on the desk drew everyone’s attention. Rejecting the call and silencing the phone Kimberly nodded for Richard to continue. In less than 15 seconds it began to ring again and this time Kimberly took note of the phone number. Aunt Audrey never called during the day when she was at work and Kimberly had already made her weekly phone call.

  Excusing herself, Kimberly left the men on a verge of explosion and stepped into the hallway and swiped the screen to the right.

  “Hi Auntie, what’s up?”

  There was no immediate response from the other end of the line only sobs.

  “Auntie, why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

  Fear pricked the back of her throat and the tips of her ears grew hot as the voice on the other end of the phone spoke.

  “This is Maya. My mom just passed.”

  “What are you talking about? I spoke to her just a few days ago and she was fine! Are you sure?”

  “It was lung cancer Kimberly. She didn’t want me to tell you, but it’s been a while now. She went into the hospital last night but they called an hour ago to say she wasn’t looking good. I am here now. She died in my arms.”

  Kimberly had no idea she was screaming. The frantic footsteps on the floor soon reached her side and Richard joined her on the floor where she sat, cell phone tossed aside.

  “Kimberly! What’s wrong? Kimberly talk to me. What’s happening?”

  The tears and screaming continued there on the floor of her new workplace, and one by one coworkers gathered, concern on the faces of the men, tears in the eyes of the women. The two lawyers emerged from the office.

  “Mr. Damask, are we going to be continuing this meeting today?”

  Richard addressed his answer to Kimberly’s secretary who was trying to feed her a glass of water.

  “Call security and get these two fucking idiots out of here. NOW!”

  The lawyers never waited for their personal escort out of building. They were at the exit in a matter of minutes. After ten minutes if weeping and wailing, Kimberly allowed Richard to help her to her feet. Trembling with tear stained cheeks, she looked into his worried eyes and said. “My aunt is dead Richard… she’s dead. Oh my God, Richard, she’s dead.”

  Addressing the concerned crowd, he issued a directive. “Please leave us alone. We need some privacy.”

  Feet shuffled and papers were taken to other work spaces in compliance with the boss’s orders. Before the hall was completely empty, Richard pulled a sobbing Kimberly to his chest and stroked her hair in an effort to calm her. He couldn’t take away the pain, but he could certainly try. For an hour, they sat uninterrupted. Kimberly sobbed and stopped and then started her crying again. Her makeup stained the shoulder of his tan jacket and her tears soaked his shirt. Richard didn’t care.

  As difficult a time as this was, he needed to ask her some questions. Did she need a leave of absence? Yes of course. When would she like to go to her family? Tomorrow if possible. Did she need help with funeral arrangements? She had no clue, she just wanted to sit there and cry. Understanding the implied command to shut up, Richard put an end to his questions and simply held her gently.

  *****

  Packing for a funeral was not what Kimberly had planned to be doing on Wednesday morning. 10 am came much too quickly and the small white pills from Richards pharmacy friend didn’t seem to work. How could Aunt Audrey keep her illness a secret from her? Thinking about the way she must have suffered tore Kimberly’s heart open and she found herself sobbing again.

  Dressed in denim because she couldn’t find anything else to wear, Kimberly appeared to be a tower of strength and the large sunglasses over her blood stained eyes covered any traces of her sadness.

  The building concierge rang at 10:15 to say the limo had arrived. Kimberly opened the door to a waiting bellman who took her three pieces of luggage to the elevator where she joined him on the trip to the ground floor.

  Once inside the sleek, shiny vehicle with the help of the chauffeur, Kimberly heaved a sigh of relief as the first step of putting her dead aunt to rest was well on the way. If leaving her apartment was such a trying task, what would happen in the next three days? Only time would tell.

  The airport was busy, but not the area she drove into. The hangar for private jets was housed behind the main airport. Deceptively plain, it hid the splendid toys of the rich. Richard Damask, recent boss of Kimberly Walsh, had offered not demanded that she use his private jet to get to the LA as soon as possible. Saying that he needed things to be as easy as possible for her in this dreadful time, silenced her automatic refusal.

  A Lear jet was something Kimberly considered a waste of money, but in times like this she was grateful that Richard had splurged. The steps unfolded and stretched out its welcome to a grieving Kimberly and she quickly took the steps and disappeared from sight. Even in grief, the striking aircraft left Kimberly in awe. A voice cleared from the back and there on one of the plush seats was Richard.

  He had been worried she would see his presence as an intrusion, but surprisingly, she ran forward and encased his neck in a bear hug of sorts and he reciprocated. This wasn’t and embrace of lust, but rather one of gratitude. Richard thought it was nice to have a friend.

  *****

  People stared but no one asked who he was and why he was there. The family wasn’t large, but it was big enough to fill the small chapel with mourners to remember Aunt Audrey. A strong upstanding woman of God, the preacher described her as, and the congregation nodded in agreement. Kimberly said little to the people present and Richard constantly glanced at her blank stare at the casket. He wished there was more that he could do to make it better.

  At the grave side however, a once sedate Kimberly lost it. Her specially purchased designer black suit and shiny pumps gave way to dirt as she fell in grief when the beautiful ivory and brass casket containing the remains of a woman she loved dearly, was lowered into the ground. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, the preacher said and her wailing pitch got higher. Kimberly was inconsolable.

  The wake was in the cramped apartment Audrey shared with her daughter and as Richard held Kimberly’s hand and escorted her to the front door teaming with people she stopped in her tracks.

  “I can’t go in. I simply can’t.”

  Richard responded as softly and gently as possible, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” With his cell phone attached to his ear, Richard turned on his heels. “Stanley, please bring the car around, Ms. Walsh is ready to leave.”

  *****

  The reservation was made under each of their names. Richard was not so presumptuous as to assume they would share a room. With him in room ninety five and her in ninety six, he felt secure with Kimberly a stone’s throw away.

  The bewitching hour rolled around and Richard was staring at the walls. A sleep number mattress was chosen on reservation, but currently it did nothing for his insomnia. It was just after 4 pm when Kimberly c
losed her door and asked to be alone and she hadn’t been seen since. Richard called a few times, but no one picked up her calls. After losing a few thousand in the casino, he retired to his room. The scotch he nursed did nothing to help.

  Sitting up straight in the bed because he thought he heard a noise, Richard listened hard but nothing moved. Two minutes later there was another sound, this time more loudly. In a leap he was off the bed and yanking open the door. There Kimberly stood in a simple sports shorts and a vest. She wanted to come in.

  *****

  Kimberly woke up dazed and confused. She was having a nightmare in which her aunt had died, after a few seconds of consciousness, she remembered that it was tragically real. In their last conversation, Auntie had encouraged her to live a full life. Only the best she wanted for her niece, and she would only rest easy knowing Kimberly had it.

  Why do old people speak such haunting words before they die? Kimberly wondered. A sudden peace descended on the room as Kimberly remembered the trials of the woman who has taken a turn at mothering her. Never fearful, and always a leader, Audrey made the most of what little she had and threw herself fully into loving her husband.

  Her mind drifted to Richard, he didn’t have to help. As a matter of fact, he didn’t have to do more than ask the staff to sign a sympathy card. Going above what was necessary to make sure she was comfortable was something that Kimberly admired. It seemed Richard Damask was indeed a nice man. Would Audrey approve of her seeing a white man? Once, after the question of Maya’s paternity became a talking piece in the neighborhood, she had called the girls into the room for an important pearl of wisdom.

  “In life, you have to pick and choose those who you call friend. Some want to take from you, some want to crush you, but then there are some good folk, those who go far beyond the call to help and defend you. It's people my children, that deserve your loyalty. No one else.”

  She needed to see him. Kimberly wanted him to know that even though she had a tough exterior, she was still gentle enough to understand that he was now someone important in her life.”