Love on the Line

by Hall, J D

  “Get your lazy butt off that couch!”

  Darryl strained his eyes in the direction of the voice at the other end of the room. Instantly, he shook himself up and began to get to his feet. He then reached for the pillow that had fallen onto the ground and secured it safely under the lazy chair in his office. His office. Those two words gave him a certain sense of satisfaction. He had started the firm over a year ago yet it still felt like a novelty to him. He checked his Rolex watch and realized that his thirty minute power nap had stretched into one hour. He rubbed the slight stubble on his boyish face, trying to regain his awareness.

  The voice continued. “Does your boss know that he is paying you to sleep?”

  Darryl knew that there was only one person who would take such a bold chance to talk to him like that: his business partner Roger.

  “Hey, it was my boss who actually suggested it,” he remarked.

  Darryl ran his hands through his shiny hair and tucked his right hand into his pocket. He wore a milky white shirt and black waistcoat, clad in a tailored, well-fitting grey blazer. His tie looked a bit untidy, as if he had been in a rush to get dressed that morning. He was considered a very attractive man, more for his buoyant personality than for his startling good looks. His upright nose betrayed his arrogance, but he had learnt a long time ago to temper that part of his personality. His Italian leather shoes barely left an imprint on the Persian rug. He straightened his Armani suit and planted himself firmly in front of his desk. Yes, the business was doing well. Being his own boss had its benefits, such as taking a nap whenever he felt like it.

  He did not regret his decision to start his own company. He was a whizz with numbers and after considering a career in mathematics, he decided to throw his towel into the field of accounting. From the way things were going, it certainly seemed as if he had made the right choice. Making the right choices came naturally for Darryl. However, deep down inside, he believed that it might have limited him in certain aspects of the life. Still, life was good and he was too busy working to complain.

  Even while he celebrated his own success, he knew that none of it would have been possible without Roger.

  They had been friends since high school, having grown up in the same tough neighborhood. Jerring Heights was one of the most dejected areas in the city. The dreary streets were as bleak as the inhabitants' future. Nothing good ever came out of that place. The local drug leaders made sure of that. For the families there, it was a never ending cycle of poverty, pregnancy and crime.

  Darryl’s folks had moved there from Kentucky after the family had fallen on some hard times. His father, the sole breadwinner of the family, had died three years before in a car accident, leaving the family without financial means. His mother was still fairly young and pretty, which guaranteed that they had some food on the table. Darryl did not like or approve of any of the men she brought to the house. When the price became too high for her to pay, he watched as his mother descended lower and lower, into a state of depression. Her sister then extended an invitation for them to leave Chicago and stay with her in Jerring Heights.

  For Roger, however, it was the only place he had ever known as home. The only thing that gave him any hope for the future was his ability to squarely knock out his opponents, both inside and outside of the ring. Cruel fate had earmarked him to become either a famous boxer or a notorious gangster.

  Darryl did not feel that he would have ever gotten used to his new hometown. It was not only because there were more blacks than he had ever seen in his life. He was not used to mean streets. However, his family life had also changed. In Kentucky, he and his mom had a special relationship. Now she was too busy working two jobs in order to support him, herself and her sister. Aunt Milly depended on disability assistance from the government. She was too obese to work. Therefore her problem became his mother’s burden. He looked on in helplessness as his aunt gradually transformed herself into his nemesis.

  “Darryl, come here,” his aunt would demand of him every afternoon when he came home from school.

  “Yes, Aunty Milly,” he would reply.

  “It is time for my bath. Bring the sponge and come here, boy!”

  The ritual was the following: take off her clothes, soak them in a barrel of water, rub her entire body with soap, scrub all the grime off with the sponge and then pour some water all over her skin.

  This task inevitably made Darryl feel like vomiting, not only due to the large amount of flabby flesh on display, but also because of the stench emanating from unmentionable areas of her body.

  Whenever he complained to his mother, she always gave him an expression of disdain.

  “I can’t believe how ungrateful you are,” she would say. “Your aunt took us into her home. We should at least be thankful that we have a place to stay.”

  Being too young at the time to fully comprehend the situation, he grew resentful towards his mother. He thought that she was no longer on his side and that he had lost his only friend in the world. It was only after he had matured that he realized that his mother was doing the best that she could do in order for them to survive. However, unlike his mother, Darryl knew that there was more to life than just eating other people’s crumbs. He began to focus on finding a way to escape such a harrowing prospect. Meeting Roger was just a case of being in the wrong place at the right time.

  Due to his wild, red, curly hair, it was inevitable that Darryl would stand out in Redding High School. This, however, did not work out to his advantage. He became a prime target for bullies.

  It was exactly two weeks into his attendance at his new school when he was approached by a group of boys. To Darryl, a slender child of then years, they were huge. They flaunted baggy pants that were worn way below the waistline and reminded him of the guys in the rap videos. They demanded his lunch money. Unfortunately, he did not have any. Things were tight as home so his mother would simply pack him off to school with a mere sandwich.

  “I don’t have any money so just leave me alone,” he shouted at them. Unfortunately that was not the answer they were looking for. They began to respond with their fists. Fights were more of the norm at Redding High. The security officers, being burnt out from constantly trying to break up fights, would now allow the fights to simply run its natural cycle. Their responsibilities were now relegated to assisting the victim to the nurse’s office.

  Darryl’s screams would have gone unnoticed if Roger had not been reading the Bible with his grandmother that morning. Something about Christ helping the less fortunate had resonated with him. Surely, the young chap was in need of help. This was going to be his good deed day for today. No scout’s badge necessary, he mused.

  “Get off him, you hooligans!”

  Even though Darryl had been at the school for such a short time, it was not hard for him to recognize Roger. Roger was on the boxing team and his reputation preceded him. He was all state champion and Darryl had heard that he was actually undefeated and was about to go pro in a few years. There was no way in the world the bullies were ever going to try to take him on. They began to run away.

  “You cowards!” shouted Darryl. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

  “You sure have some pluck for a weeny white dude,” Roger said, plainly amused.

  “Well, I might be small, but I am not afraid. I am not afraid of you either!”

  Roger’s laughter echoed down the hallway. He towered over Darryl and was more than five time his size. Somehow, he felt a kindred spirit with the boy. Damn, his grandmother’s religiosity was making a bigger impact on him that he had expected.

  From that day on, no one ever troubled Darryl again. Even though Roger thought that Darryl was kind of cool, he more or less tried to avoid him. While savin
g Darryl’s behind that day made him look like a good guy, he had his reputation to consider. He wondered what his friends would think if they saw him hanging out with that punk. Despite his resolution, the two became inseparable. Roger would always seek Darryl’s interest. He did it then and he was doing it now, in his own way.

  “I want you to get your lazy butt in front of the computer,” demanded Roger.

  Darryl shuffled to his feet. “You know that you are being crazy for calling me lazy. This butt spent the entire night working on the Shuman report and it is entitled to a little down time.”

  Roger slammed the door behind him and walked back into the office. “You know that I am only playing with you. Besides, I was not referring to office work,” he said with a huge smile on his face. His six gold teeth matched his golden voice. Even though Roger had on a business suit as well, his aura and swag exuded an enduring street vibe. It was difficult for anyone to imagine that the two of them, as different as they appeared to be, were actually best friends, as well as business partners.

  Darryl shifted uncomfortably in his seat and attempted to clear some of the papers on his desk. He was smart enough to know, however, that it would have been useless to dodge Roger whenever he wanted him to do something he did not want to do.

  “Uhh, don’t bring up that again! Why can’t you just please drop that subject? I have told you already, I am happy just the way I am.”

  “Hey, man, I just want to see you happier. Just look at me. Aren’t I the happiest dude you have ever seen?”

  Darryl looked at him, trying to suppress a smile. Yes, he looked happy. He looked more than happy. Actually, he looked sort of gay. Dressed in the slimming suit which was tailored to his muscular, yet stocky figure, the style complemented his plum colored button down shirt, which was left unbuttoned at the collar exposing a little bit of his chest. Yeah, Roger still looked like the pimp he remembered from high school. The silly thoughts caused him to burst out in a fit of laughter.

  “What’s up with you and these one-man jokes? People would just think that you’re some crazy lunatic. No wonder you’re thirty five years old and still single. You need to get out of it before your nuts dry up, dude,” remarked Roger.

  “Hey, I can have any woman that I want to. I am not like you. I have decided to save myself for someone special. I am waiting till Wanda changes her mind.”

  Now it was Roger’s turn to chuckle. Somehow this particular joke never got old.

  “Man, why don’t you just give up on that subject? That crazy girl done joined the convent and there ain't no way in hell that she is leaving it to get with your sorry white ass!”

  Darryl only discovered he had a thing for black women when he spent time at Darryl’s house. There were few blacks in his previous neighborhood and they all kept to themselves. Not that he would have had a problem dating them. He just never had the opportunity. Wanda was the most beautiful girl he had even seen in his life, black or white. He was too shy to tell her about his feelings back then. There was something about having money that made him feel a little more confident now.

  “Well, if you won’t give up on it, neither would I. You know I would follow your sister till the end of the earth.”

  “Maybe it could happen in the afterlife but it sure ain't happening in this lifetime. I am telling you, online dating is the in thing. And you are going to fill out a profile today,” insisted Roger.

  The mere thought of searching for women on the internet did not appeal to Darryl at all. Roger had been boasting for months about all the women that he had been dating since he joined several online dating sites.

  “I know you ain't shy, so what is the problem? And you ain't got nothing to lose, except for a few bucks. And besides, you are loaded so I think that is a small price to pay for meeting the woman of your dreams.”

  “Now tell me, Roger, have you met the woman of your dreams?”

  “Heck, no! But then again, I am not interested in that right now. Why settle for one woman when there are so many fish in the sea? Tonight I can eat shark, tomorrow salmon. Or even a whale. You know I love them big and beautiful.”

  Darryl was not impressed. He respected women and the thought of using any one of them went against all his morals. As much as he cared for his best friend, he was not about to let himself be influenced into becoming a womanizer. All he wanted was just one woman to love.

  “There must be a lot of desperate women out there if you are having such a full plate on a daily basis.”

  “Hey, don’t knock it till you try it.”

  They were interrupted by a soft yet firm knock at the door. They did not have to guess who it was as the scent of tacky perfume spread into the room from the outside. An attractive blond lady in tight red mini dress entered the office. It was impossible to guess her exact age due to the layers on makeup she had on her face. As the work became too much for the two partners to handle, they inevitable had to hire more staff. Meredith was the company’s secretary, although she preferred to be called an administrative assistant. However, unfortunately, she was doing too much assisting of late, sometimes after office hours. She was very good at what she did and Darryl decided that once he stayed clear of her, nothing would have to happen to jeopardize their working relationship.

  Observing the two men in the room, she mumbled a greeting to Roger and began to put some post it notes with the messages Darryl received while he was taking a nap. As soon as Meredith left the room, Roger let out a wolf whistle.

  “Wow, that mama is smoking!! Now please tell me why you are not sleeping with Meredith as yet. It is so plain and obvious to everyone that she has the hots for you.”

  It took Darryl all of his patience not to get irritated. Really, sometimes Roger could be a little too crude, he thought.

  “Well, it is also plain and obvious that she has the hots for just about everybody. She is a what you may call a man-eater. The word around the firm is that she has slept with everyone, except for me and the janitor. Besides, I have standards and I am waiting for Wanda to come to her senses.”

  Roger shook his head and held his hand up in exasperation.

  “I am close to giving up on you, dude. But I still think you should give it a try. I am on several sites right now, but by far the best is called City Cupid. I really like it because you could narrow down your search to the local city. You know that I ain't looking to spend a lot of money to travel to see any heifer.”

  “Heifer? Before they were fish. Roger, you are really and truly disgusting. I feel sorry for all those women who have been desperate enough to go out with you.”

  “Heck, I never hear them complaining when they sample this chocolate delight.”

  “Roger, get out of my office.” Darryl tried to sound like a stern boss, but failed miserably. They had known each other for too long and had been through so much difficult times, that it was almost impossible for them to be seriously angry with each other. Besides, they considered themselves to be equal partners in the business, even though Darryl did most of the work.

  “Just remember that the website is called City Cupid. Just Google it and fill out your profile. You may have to tell some lies in order to get girl to feel sorry for you and accept a date.”

  “I need to tell lies? I guess there are no more desperate women out there because you took all of them!”

  “You ain't even in the game yet and already you are a hater? Ha, ha, ha. I will see you later.”

  When Roger left, Darryl pondered on what his friend had said. Even though he was denying it, Darryl had actually been thinking about online dating. It was the in-thing among busy professionals who wanted to maintain some form of human and social contact outside of the workplace. A few of his friends have made some great hook-ups. Some of the relationships were more than just about sex. He had also heard some horror stories. However, what Roger said was true. He was not a shy person. So what was his big hang up about meeting women online. If wasn’t as if he was obligated to meet them
in person. He could just chat and make friends without having any sort of romantic illusions. It could turn out to be fun. He would be careful never to ask or give out his phone number. That way the relationship would remain purely online. Whenever he felt bored, he would simply log on. Online dating would in no way affect his lifestyle. He was starting to warm to the idea. After all, you only live once!

  He checked his watch. It was almost time to leave the office. Meredith came to the door as he was picking up his briefcase.

  “Hey, good looking. Want to grab a bite with me at the Ranch?”

  ‘Good looking’ was the name she would call him whenever they were alone together. On other occasions, he was simply Mr Baxter.

  “Sorry, Meredith, but I have a lot of work to finish so I guess I would have to grab a bite at home.”

  “Is that an invitation?” A wicked smile began to curl up on her face. Darryl decided to play it safe and resist the temptress. He had already begun to place some files into his briefcase. She drifted a closer to his desk and pretended to be sorting out the pens in the stationery cup.

  “Thanks, but no thanks. Got work to finish,” he replied. Even though he had refused her, the slit in the mini dress was distracting him and making him feel giddy. She leaned forward for the kill, exposing her plump breast. He wanted to reach out and play with them for a few seconds. Damn, it was really a long time since he got laid and he immediately felt it in his groins.

  “But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

  “Well, I am glad my name is not Jack then!”

  “Why don’t you just go out with me? Don’t you find me attractive?”

  Meredith pouted. Her red lips then curled sensuously, as if waiting to be kissed.

  “My gosh, Meredith, you know you are the most attractive woman in the building. Any guy would be insane for not wanting to go out with you.”

  “Well then, you must be a complete lunatic.”

  “Funny, Roger was just telling me the same thing a little while ago.”

  She was not used to hearing the word ‘no’ from men. Sometimes, however, the chase excited her.