When a Champion Wants You

by Tina Martin

  “Doesn’t matter, Des,” Dimitrius said. “I think we’re all in agreement that Melanie is perfect for the job.”

  His brothers stared at him. Confused. Shocked. Well, Desmond was more shocked than Dante. Desmond wasn’t privy to the conversation that Dante and Dimitrius had concerning Melanie, so he hadn’t known that Dimitrius was seriously considering dating her, and if he had his way, marrying her.

  “Wait…you made it clear that you didn’t want Melanie for the job,” Desmond said. “You were drilling her so hard, it made me uncomfortable.”

  “Well, I changed my mind,” Dimitrius said. “I looked over her resume again, and I think she’s qualified, especially coming from such a wealth of customer service. That’s what we were looking for right?”

  Dante smirked. That hadn’t been all Dimitrius was looking for. “Right.”

  “Then are we all in agreement that Melanie has the job?” Desmond asked.

  Dimitrius nodded.

  Dante said, “Yes. We’re in agreement.”

  “Good. I’ll call her after the meeting is over,” Desmond said.

  Something about Desmond calling Melanie sent a streak of jealousy through Dimitrius as evident by the slight frown in his forehead.

  Dante saw it right away and said, “That’s not necessary, Des. I’ll get my assistant to call her.”

  “Okay. Cool.”

  “I do need to know when you want her to start,” Dante told him. “Ideally, I need her to train with you for the first week.”

  “Monday is a good start date,” Desmond replied. “I don’t have much on my calendar for next week.”

  “Okay. Monday it is. Now, let’s discuss eRoll. Des, run through the marketing strategies for the re-launch.”

  “I’ve started with the basics. A month ago, press releases went out. Another batch is set to go out this week. My team has sent out emails and fliers to the top corporations in the country, inviting them to send a representative to the eRoll re-launch.”

  “How has the response been so far?”

  “So far we’re getting a pretty good response. I think businesses are looking for a better streamlined payroll process than what current payroll processors provide. Of course you have the main payroll outsourcing company, Automatic Payments, who would be our direct competition, but eRoll offers solutions that they have yet to address.”

  Dante nodded. “I agree. Dimitrius and I discussed the new eRoll app that he’s been working on. That’s one solution Automatic Payments has stayed away from.”

  “How’s that coming?” Desmond inquired.

  “It’s coming along. It’ll be ready for download during the first day of the re-launch. The app syncs with the eRoll software and allows employees to enter their payroll time and submit it directly to their company’s eRoll account. Of course, whomever approves timesheets for the company would go in, make sure everything is in order before they process their payroll, but imagine the convenience that will give, not only employers, but their employees. People lead busy lives these days. No one has time to continuously stalk their timesheet every couple of weeks. The app automatically enters their time, then it sends a notification reminder on the day that it needs to be submitted.”

  “So employees could go in and make tweaks to their time before they submit it,” Desmond said.

  “Exactly,” Dimitrius responded.

  “That’s good, man. These companies are going to be blown away at the show,” Desmond added.

  “Then it sounds like we’re right where we need to be at this stage in the game,” Dante said. “I have to say, I’m excited about this project.”

  “Me too,” Desmond said. “Can’t wait to see the full turnout.”

  “Has anyone booked our hotel rooms yet?” Dimitrius asked.

  “I had my assistant book rooms for all of us,” Dante told him.

  “Perfect,” Dimitrius said.

  “And how long are we staying?” Desmond inquired.

  “Just the three nights…Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Dante said. “Sunday is our chill day and then Monday morning, we’ll fly back.”

  “Alright.” Desmond closed his notebook. “Sounds like a plan, bro.” He stood up.

  Dimitrius joined him.

  “Hey, Dimitrius, can you hang back for a second?” Dante asked.

  “Sure.”

  “See y’all later,” Desmond said. “I’m taking an early lunch today.”

  “Alright, Des,” Dante told him.

  Dimitrius walked over to close the door after Desmond had left. Then turning to look at Dante, he asked, “What’s up?”

  “Everything good with you and Melanie?”

  “It is what it is,” Dimitrius said nonchalantly. “We had a nice dinner last night.”

  “I saw the way you grimaced when Desmond mentioned he was going to call her. You actually looked like you were a little peeved. That’s why I told him that I would have my assistant call Melanie to tell her about the job, but I’m not really going to do that. I’m going to leave that up to you. So when you see her today, and I have a hunch that you will, you can give her the good news yourself.”

  Dimitrius grinned. “I swear I feel like you have some sort of tracking device on me and Des.”

  Dante chuckled. “I just know my brothers. I’m older, so therefore, I’m wiser.”

  “Well, I’m pretty sure you and Emily are occupied enough…no need for you to be all up into my personal happenings.”

  “I’m just excited for you, bro. Our parents would have loved to see us settle down and have children with good, classy women, don’t you think?”

  “I’m sure they would have,” Dimitrius responded. “At any rate, I’m going to get some more work done before I take a lunch.”

  “Alright man. See you later.”

  Chapter 11

  Melanie was all smiles when she signed for the dozen roses that were delivered for her this morning. Without having to look at the card, she already knew who they were from. And they weren’t the dull, lifeless flimsy-looking roses that one could purchase from a supermarket. The heads of these roses were large with dark red blooms and long stems. And Dimitrius had left a note for her that said: For my opposite.

  She smiled at the note because she was his complete opposite, one of the reasons why he said they would be good together. And when was the last time she received roses from a man?

  * * *

  After checking in a few customers, she was about to call Emily when she looked up and saw Dimitrius walking into the hotel lobby. Her breath caught in her throat at how handsome he was. He was dressed nice again today – had on a tan suit, white shirt, a plaid tie that contained variations of blue and brown leather shoes. And he had that serious, stoic look on his face again.

  In an effort to get him to smile, she said, “Good morning, Sir. Are you checking in?”

  Her plan worked. His lips curved to form a smile befitting for his handsome face as he responded, “Only if you’re coming with me.”

  Melanie blushed, feeling her face turn a shade of red. Seemed the temperature had shot up ten degrees, even with the air-conditioning running. “Thank you for the roses,” she told him.

  “What roses?” he asked frowning, watching as a look of confusion washed over her. “I’m kidding, Melanie.”

  “Oh,” she said, placing a hand over her heart. “You looked so serious…”

  “I always look serious, apparently…that’s something I need you to help me change about myself since you love to laugh.”

  She smiled. “So, what are you doing here? You Champions don’t have a summit planned for today.”

  “I’m here to take you to lunch.”

  “And what if I told you I’ve already eaten?” she asked, noticing that Dimitrius’ eyes were fixed on her lips.

  “Then you can come and watch me eat while simultaneously getting to know me a little better.”

  “Um…” Melanie said. It was very rare that she had lunch outsi
de of the office. Yesterday, when she’d met Emily was a special occasion that warranted lunch with her girlfriend, especially since she had to fill Melanie in on the interview. If it wasn’t for that, she would’ve stayed at the hotel and warmed up a Lean Cuisine in the break room.

  “Stop thinking of a reason to turn me down and come to lunch with me, Melanie.”

  “I’m not thinking of a reason…it’s just that I don’t typically leave for lunch.”

  “Well, make an exception for today, like you did yesterday.”

  “Alright,” she caved. She knew he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted. “Let me grab my purse.”

  After walking away and stepping into an office for a few moments, she was back, meeting Dimitrius in the lobby.

  She loved the fact that he was a gentleman, opening the door of the hotel, as well as the passenger door of his black Maserati. Once she was in comfortably, he walked around the back of the car and opened the driver door, taking a seat inside.

  “What is there to eat around here?” he asked looking at her while sliding some tinted shades on his face that enhanced his already striking appearance.

  Goodness, Melanie thought to herself. Had he said something? If he did, she hadn’t heard a word of it. Sitting behind the wheel of a luxury sports car and looking as fly as he was had her heart speedily thumping in her chest and all she could hear were the beats of her own heart.

  “Melanie.”

  With raised eyebrows, she replied, “Huh?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. Why?”

  He chuckled. “I just asked you a question.”

  “Oh…right. Food. Ah…Let me think,” she said. “Oh, there’s a rib joint right around the block.”

  “You’ve eaten there before?”

  “Yes, a few times. Can’t go too often, though.”

  “Why not?”

  “Those ribs will have my butt a lot bigger than what it is now.”

  “I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Dimitrius responded.

  She playfully slapped his firm thigh and mumbled, “I bet you don’t.”

  “Is that the place right there?” he asked, pointing.

  “Yeah. Turn behind that red car,” she told him, and he did.

  After they’d parked, he opened the door for her again, following her inside the restaurant.

  When they were comfortable at a table, she told the waitress to bring water, and then she said, “So why’d you send me roses, Dimitrius?”

  “Just wanted to thank you for having dinner with me. I had a good time last night, even though you were eager to leave.”

  “It wasn’t that I was ready to leave…I was just baffled that you actually wanted to go with me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you seem to be after a more prim and proper woman. I guess I am that woman to a certain extent, but I like to have fun, eat, laugh and live. I don’t spend inordinate amounts of time worrying about my hair my nails and what brand of clothing I’m wearing.”

  “Good. You’re just the type of woman I need in my life.”

  Melanie gave him a playful squint. “If you say so.” Even though he was a gentleman and had shown her somewhat of a good time last night, she still had to keep in mind that he had a reputation and the things he was doing with her, was something that he’d done with countless other women, making them feel like they could be the one when, in actuality, they weren’t close to being a thing. And did he really want to settle down as he claimed?

  “What? You still don’t believe me?”

  “Of course I don’t believe you. How does a man, who can get any woman he wants, ends up in a rib shack with me?”

  “If I can get any woman I want, why are you giving me such a hard time, darling?”

  Game, it’s all game. Melanie couldn’t help but notice how intensely he was staring at her. For the first time, she saw desire in his eyes – a look that made her quiver. A look that made a moan escape her lips, and then she quickly corrected the sound by clearing her throat. “Let’s be ready to order when she comes back,” she said, changing the subject. “This place gets pretty busy around this time of day.”

  * * *

  Dimitrius didn’t understand why lunch with her seemed more awkward than the dinner they’d shared last night. He wasn’t a complete stranger anymore as she’d like to say. They had spent time together last night, and he thought they had made some progress. She even seemed to love the fact that he was thoughtful enough to send roses, but during lunch, she was quiet. When he tried to get her to talk about things that were relatable to her, such as the nightlife on this side of town and what types of things she liked to do on her spare time, she was pretty tight-lipped with the exception of one or two word phrases. He didn’t like that one bit. He wanted to progress with her, not regress.

  After they had finished eating and were wiping their hands with lemon-scented Wet-Naps he looked at her and said, “You got the job.”

  “I did?”

  Instead of being happy, he noticed that she looked to be more in a quandary. Did she still want the job? “Yes. You did. You made quite the impression on my brothers.”

  “Yeah, but you…not so much…”

  He smirked. “I have to admit, I was pretty hard on you, but I had my reasons.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, tardiness is a pet peeve of mine, and then there’s the fact that I wanted you so much, I wasn’t sure we could work in the same building together.”

  “That’s why you were so mean to me?”

  “Yes. That’s precisely why.”

  “Then what makes you think you can work with me now?”

  “Because I think you’re starting to like me a little, and besides, I like being close to you, Melanie.”

  “After one dinner and one lunch, you like being close to me?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Melanie tried to disguise a frown but was unsuccessful. No woman like to be gamed, treated like a queen for a little while until the man was done with her, then tossed aside. And it’s not like she was inviting Dimitrius into her life – he was forcing himself into hers.

  When the waitress came by with the check, Melanie reached for the bill folder but Dimitrius quickly grabbed it.

  “I pay. I always pay. Remember that.”

  Melanie smirked and took the last few sips of water. She couldn’t wait to get back to work. She needed to come up with a way to let Dimitrius down easy and still remain cordial with him. After all, they had to work together, and there was no need to start off on a bad note.

  Once they arrived back to the hotel, Dimitrius shut off the engine right outside of the front lobby entrance of the hotel. The short drive back had been uncomfortably quiet, and he knew why.

  “Now what are you doing?” Melanie asked.

  “I’m dropping you off.”

  “Then why’d you shut off the engine?”

  “Because I would like to walk you to the door if it’s not too much trouble.”

  She offered up a flimsy shrug and said, “It’s fine.”

  Walking beside her to the entrance he said, “I guess we could count lunch as our interaction today. You need to think about what we’re going to do tomorrow.”

  “Hold up…first of all, I didn’t say I was going to do this yet.”

  “Your actions are saying it for you,” he said, backing away from her, opening the door to get in his car.

  “Dimitrius, I don’t—”

  “Be thinking about tomorrow, and call me,” he said, getting inside of his car. He sat there until she was safely inside the hotel and when he started the car, he blew a breath. She was going to be quite the woman to tame. Either that, or he would have to allow himself to be under her influence.

  Chapter 12

  She would have to see him today…

  Melanie checked her makeup again. She wanted to look decent for tonight, since she would be going to Dante and Emily’s f
or dinner. Dimitrius would be there, she knew, and she wasn’t ready to see him – not after she had intentionally avoided him Wednesday and Thursday. He’d called, left messages and she hadn’t bothered returning none of them. Tonight, she couldn’t ignore him.

  She dressed comfortably in a pair of dark stonewash jeans that fit her size twelve rump perfectly. A white short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of pink and white Nikes completed her outfit. She fixed her free hanging curls in the mirror, applied some lipstick and gloss to her lips and was out the door.

  * * *

  Upon arriving at Emily’s house, she noticed Dimitrius’ car was already there, parked behind Desmond’s motorcycle. She parked directly behind them then walked to the door. Upon entering, she could hear the men laughing and having a good time like brothers did.

  They were so engrossed in conversation, they hadn’t noticed she’d walked in until Emily looked up and said, “Hey, girl!”

  “Hey, Emily. Hi everybody,” Melanie said.

  “Hi Melanie,” Dante said.

  “Hey, Melanie,” Desmond responded.

  “Hi, Melanie,” Dimitrius finally said. He was staring at her like it was his first time ever laying eyes on the woman. Maybe it was the fuchsia lipstick that brought out the shape of her lips. Or maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t seen her in two days. Whatever the case, she was downright irresistible, and he wondered why she had been avoiding him. He would find out tonight, even if he had to make her tell him.

  “Can I do anything to help you in the kitchen, Emily?” Melanie asked, continuing on past the guys.

  “Yes. I’m sweatin’ in here.”

  “You should’ve told me you were cooking. I would’ve come over sooner. I assumed you guys were hiring chefs.”

  “Dante wanted to hire a chef, but I told him I preferred to cook. Now, I’m so tired, I wish we would’ve gone with a chef.”

  “Well, let me know what I can do.”

  “I’m pretty much done cooking. I do need to reheat some of it, though. Can you stir the greens?”