“Do you need to go put on some clothes?” I asked.
“No. I’m comfortable. Now please tell me why you’re here?”
“Because we need to talk about what happened today.”
“Jonathan, before I say anything to you, please know that regardless of you being my boss, I’m going to speak my mind in my own house. After tonight you may decide to fire me, so are you sure you want to have this conversation?”
“Trust me, I can handle it. Just don’t start calling me names, all right? Anything else, I’m prepared for when it comes to you.”
“Good, because I’m not coming back to work until we get one thing straight.”
“And what’s that?”
“Don’t ever put me on blast like you did today. If you have a problem with me, pull me aside and confront me. It was tacky of you to confront me with Lewis around and I kind of lost some respect for you.”
“You really think you got me in check, don’t you?” I said, laughing.
“No, but I know you be thinking about your mistakes after you’ve made them.”
“Calling you into my office and confronting you about going off on people wasn’t a mistake, Sylvia. And even if you don’t like Crissy or Lewis, you still need to show them some respect when we’re in the workplace, especially Crissy. Her father owns sixty percent of the company and you might have to answer to her one of these days.”
“Before I answer to that thing, I’d work at McDonald’s. Lewis and her are on my hit list. They’re always telling you stuff about me, but if you only knew what I knew, mister.”
“And what do you know?” I asked. “That question is, of course, pertaining to my wife.”
“Uh, no,” Sylvia said, getting off the couch. She walked over to the huge picture window and looked outside. “You are not going to get me caught up in the middle.”
I got up and stood next to her. “Come on now, Sylvia. Who is he?”
Sylvia cocked her head back and sniffed. “Have you been drinking?”
The direction of my eyes lowered to her thick breasts, which were now clearly showing.
She tightened her robe again and nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been drinking. I can tell because you never looked at me like that.”
I shrugged. “I’ve been drinking a little, but answer my question. I already know she’s seeing someone, but I want to know who he is.”
“Jonathan, you are so wrong coming to me with a question like that. I don’t know anything. Dana doesn’t tell me anything anymore. Just in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not as tight as we used to be.”
“I’ve noticed and I wonder why?”
“We’re just not. She’s moving in one direction and I’m moving in another.”
“Yeah, I bet she is.” I went back over to the chair and sat down.
Sylvia stayed by the window and folded her arms. “Have you tried talking to her about your feelings?”
“Not really because I’m so angry with her that a part of me really doesn’t want to know the truth.”
“Well, if you need answers, you need to go home and talk to her. I don’t have the answers for you.”
For now, I left it there. We sat around for the next hour or so talking about work, the crazy people there, and Lorenzo. I told Sylvia he looked like the Incredible Hulk and insisted she could do a lot better. When she implied I was jealous, I denied it.
“Jealous of who?”
“Jonathan, don’t play with me. You know darn well you were jealous because that brotha was fine, and because he had just finished making love to a beautiful woman such as myself.”
“You’re right. I want more than anything in the world to see how great you are in bed. And if that brotha beat me to it, then yes, I’m jealous.”
Sylvia’s brow rose. “Are you serious?”
“No, I’m not,” I said, laughing. “I’m only kidding.”
“See, you play too much.” She stood up and opened the door. “Why don’t you take your butt home before you get hurt up in here tonight?”
I looked at my watch and I couldn’t believe how late it was. “I don’t feel like going home. Do you mind if I crash out on your couch for the night?”
“Yes, I do mind. The last thing I need is for Dana to know that you’re over here. She’s already upset about the flowers and I don’t want to hear about how I’m trying so desperately to steal her man.”
“If she calls, just tell her you haven’t seen me. You don’t want me to have an accident tonight, especially since I’ve been drinking. Do you?”
Sylvia closed the door. “Don’t be trying to play games with me, Jonathan. You are not that drunk where you can’t drive home. If Dana calls, I’m giving the phone to you so you can talk.”
“Fine,” I said, moving over to the couch. “Can I please get some covers and a pillow?”
Sylvia walked off into the other room. When she came back with the cover and pillow, I was down to my boxers, while still on the couch.
“Here,” she said, looking at me as with lust locked in her eyes.
I took the pillow and cover from her. “Are you okay?” I asked, as she was still staring.
“Yeah, uh, I’m fine. If you need me, I’ll be in the other room.”
Just then the phone rang. Sylvia answered and I could immediately tell it was Dana. I shook my head and whispered to Sylvia that I didn’t want to talk. She told Dana she hadn’t seen me, and then told her she’d call her in the morning.
“Thank you,” I said after she hung up.
“Anytime.” Sylvia turned down the lights and went back into her room.
Trying to get comfortable, I fluffed the flat pillow and lay on my back. I propped my feet on the arm of the couch, since I was so tall, and looked up at the ceiling fan that blew cool air on me.
After finally falling asleep, I was awakened by the sound of water running in the shower. I looked at my watch and it was only two-thirty in the morning. I knew damn well Sylvia wasn’t getting ready for work already, and when she came out of the bathroom, I called her name.
“What?” she whispered.
“What are you doing?”
“Washing my ass, that’s what.” I laughed and she turned on the light. “Have you been asleep?”
“Yeah, I was until you started making noises.”
“Sorry, but I needed a shower.”
“And I need some sleep. Now, turn the light out and leave me alone.”
Sylvia laughed and turned out the light. When she went back into her bedroom, I couldn’t help myself from thinking about having sex with her. Knowing that she was naked underneath the towel aroused me, and finding myself a little bit jealous of her boyfriend, I knew some type of feelings were there.
Just as I started to doze off again, I was startled when Sylvia sat next to me on the couch. The room was mostly dark, and when I asked Sylvia what she was doing, she placed her fingers on my lips.
“Don’t say a word, Jonathan. Tonight, I’m coming clean and I haven’t a clue what this is going to do to our friendship and our work relationship. Thing is, I can’t hold back any longer.”
Before Sylvia could say another word, I sat up on my elbows, and then moved her hair away from her face. I placed my hand on the back of her neck and pulled her lips to mine. Feeling the nervousness in her body as we kissed, I backed away. She slid off her robe and rested her naked body on top of mine. As the kiss continued, I rubbed my hands up and down her back, and over the mountain of her soft ass. Feeling my steel rise between her legs, she straddled herself and reached inside of my boxers to touch my goods. She rubbed my head against the slit of her pussy, but when I tried to ease inside, she stopped me. She lifted herself off me and let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry, Jonathan, but I . . . I can’t.”
Not saying another word, she walked off into her bedroom and closed the door.
Dying to finish what we’d started, I got off the couch and went to her door. I knocked a few times and
when she didn’t say anything, I opened it and went inside. I could see Sylvia lying in bed sideways while resting her head on a pillow. I eased up from behind her and put my arm around her waist.
“I had no idea how difficult this was for you,” I whispered in her ear. “One day at a time though, Sylvia; one day at a time.”
She nodded and held my hand together with hers, as we both fell asleep.
5
SYLVIA
The next morning, I was a nervous wreck. Jonathan woke up around five o’clock and headed home. He told me he wasn’t coming in until eleven, and feeling the way I felt, I didn’t even want to go in at all.
I couldn’t believe after years of dreaming and thinking about being with him, I had the nerve to freeze up like Frosty the fucking Snowman. There I was with his dick in my hand and didn’t even know what to do with it. My body trembled so badly and I knew he’d felt it. The thought of Dana finding out and my betraying her was what stopped me. Not only that, but I knew Jonathan was a hurting man. I didn’t want to complicate his life any more than it already was. One day at a time, he suggested, and that was how I was going to approach this situation going forward.
I was a little late for work, and when I got there, Audrey and Jackie stood close by my desk. As I got closer, I saw them looking at all the flowers that surrounded my cubicle. There were dozens and dozens of peach ones this time and the yellow ones started to bloom. They were amazingly beautiful and all I could do was smile. A card was on my desk, and I could barely read it with Jackie and Audrey looking over my shoulder.
“Get back or I’ll cut ya,” I playfully hissed while holding the card close to my chest.
“Miss Thang, you need to tell us what’s really going on,” Jackie said. “Jonathan ain’t giving you all these flowers and you ain’t putting out nothing.”
I ignored Jackie, opened the card and read it.
I’m not finished with you yet! was written inside of the card, and Mr. Boss Man signed it. I laughed and put the card back inside of the envelope. I wasn’t quite sure what his words meant, but I put the envelope inside my purse so no one would see it.
“Sylvia,” Jackie said, snapping me out of my trance. “I can’t believe you’ve been holding back on us.”
“Girl, I haven’t been holding back on nothing. Jonathan is a really nice person, Jackie, and I couldn’t have asked for a better boss.”
“He really is a true gentleman. I came this close,” Audrey said, holding her fingers closely together, “to screwing his brains out last night.”
Shocked, my eyes widened. “Last night? Audrey, quit your lying, girl.”
“No, I’m serious. He and I had a drink at CJ’s, and by the time we left he was all over me. I made it perfectly clear to him that I do not sleep with married men. After that, he walked me to my car and left.”
“Really?” I was pissed, but still a little skeptical about Audrey’s claim. “It doesn’t seem like Jonathan to be so forceful but—”
“Well, he was. He be putting on this act when he’s at work, but don’t get him alone with you. He’s like a wild animal trying to break out of a cage.”
Disappointed by what Audrey had said, I told her and Jackie I was on my way to the bagel shop to get a bagel. On my way downstairs, I couldn’t help but to replay the entire night in my mind over and over again. I knew Jonathan was hurt, and if he was looking for any woman to give him some attention, I wasn’t going to be the one. After thinking about him never giving me any attention, until reality finally hit him about Dana, I was discouraged with myself for letting things go as far as they did last night.
When I got back upstairs, many people walked slowly by my desk to look at all the flowers. I got so tired of everybody asking me about them that I posted up a huge sign that said: MY MAN LOVES ME!
It was almost ten o’clock, so I knew Jonathan was coming in soon. I was a bit nervous about seeing him, but if anything, I really wanted to know how he felt after what happened between us last night.
As I filed some papers away, the phone rang and it was Dana. I knew her call was coming soon, and when I told her I was a little busy, she wouldn’t let me go.
“You’ve never been too busy to talk to me before, Sylvia.”
“Truly, today, I am. Jonathan will be here soon and I haven’t done anything this morning.”
“You never do anything anyway. And if you do any work today, you need to work on throwing all those darn roses in the trashcan.”
“Whew, you are on a roll this morning, aren’t you?”
“You’re damn right I am. Do you know that playboy husband of mine did not come home until six o’clock this morning?”
I pretended to be shocked. “For real!”
“Yes. And when he got here, he didn’t say anything to me. I tried to argue with him and he completely ignored me. He showered, changed clothes, and left.”
“Girl, that’s a shame.”
“Sylvia!”
“What!”
“Normally, you have a slew of shit to say.”
“Well, today, I don’t. I told you I was busy.”
“Okay, fine. Then, let me speak to Jonathan.”
“I already told you he wouldn’t be in until eleven.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. According to his calendar, he should be here soon.”
“Girl, I swear, if he’s sleeping with another woman . . .”
“What, Dana? Just what are you going to do when you’ve done nothing but fuck him over?”
“Stop taking his side all the time, please. I wish you would see things from my point of view.”
“I’ve tried, Dana. Lord knows I’ve tried, but I will never understand how you could let a man like him slip away. Anyway,” I said, as I saw Jonathan coming through the door. “I’ll tell him to call you when he gets here. I gotta go because Mr. Bradford been walking around and I don’t want him to see me running my mouth on the phone.”
“Bye, girl. And call me later. I have something else I need to talk to you about.”
“I will,” I said, hanging up.
Jonathan stopped at the receptionist’s desk and talked to Sandra. Feeling nervous about seeing him, I stood up and went over to the file cabinet, pretending to be busy. My back was turned, and when he snuck up from behind me, I acted surprised.
“You startled me,” I said, holding my chest.
“Yeah, right, Sylvia. Has anyone called?”
“Dana. Other than her, it’s been kind of quiet this morning.”
“So,” he said.
“So, what?”
His eyes scanned my cubicle. “Do you like the flowers?”
“Oh, yeah, thanks. I love them, but you really didn’t have to.”
“I know, but when I forget about you next year, I don’t want you crying about it.”
“You’d better not forget about me next year, and if you do, you will most definitely pay for it.”
“I’m sure I will,” he said, looking through some papers on my desk.
I noticed Jonathan’s casual attire and checked out how amazing he looked in a peach Ralph Lauren shirt, khakis, and shiny loafers. When I asked why he was casually dressed, he said that he was leaving and would be gone for the rest of the day. When I asked where he was going, he wouldn’t tell me. I followed him into his office.
“So, we got secrets now, huh?” I asked.
“No, Sylvia. I’ll be out for the entire day. Take messages for me and let my callers know I won’t be back until Monday.”
“Monday?”
“Yes, Monday.”
According to Jonathan’s calendar, he had three appointments scheduled for today, and two court cases scheduled for tomorrow. “So what are you going to do about your appointments?”
“I’ve already taken care of them,” he said, reaching for his phone. “Now, is there anything else?”
“I guess not, but I wish you would have told me so I could have prepared myself
for you being out of the office.”
“That’s why I’m telling you now.”
“Don’t even go there with me, Jonathan. You know better than I do that we’ve always communicated better than this.”
“Sylvia, look. I told you I had something to take care of. Stop pressing the issue and chill, all right?”
His tone upset me, so I raised my voice. “Excuse the hell out of me. Let me get out of your hair, since I seem to be such a pain.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” he said then dialed out on his phone.
I didn’t bother to respond and just left his office. This was becoming an everyday habit. I was truly getting sick and tired of it. What was with his attitude? He knew that abruptly changing his schedule would complicate my day, and he always let me know things ahead of time so I could prepare. He’d never done this before, and I didn’t like the changes I was seeing in him.
I went to the ladies’ room to freshen up a bit. Audrey came in and filled my head with some more juice on Jonathan. I didn’t know whether to believe her about his behavior, but by the way he was acting, it must have been true.
After I left the ladies’ room, I walked down the hall and someone snatched me into the boardroom. The room was pitch-black, but I knew it was Jonathan when he covered my mouth and I got a whiff of his cologne.
“I need to go find out some things about my wife,” he whispered. “Do not tell anyone what I’m doing, including her. All you know is I’m in court today, okay?”
I nodded and he removed his hand from my mouth. “When I asked you earlier, that’s all you had to say, Jonathan.”
“Not with my door open, Sylvia. There are so many nosy people around here, and I didn’t want to take any chances with them listening in on us.”
“You’re right. And I hope you find out what it is that you’re looking for.”
“I think I already found it.” He inched forward to kiss me. Foolishly, I rubbed the back of his head and indulged myself in a lengthy kiss with him. Feeling myself getting so caught up with him, I backed away.
“Jonathan, I don’t think this is going to work out for me. I—”
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