by Tina Martin
Reggie came back with a glass in his hand. After he drank to his satisfaction, he turned the lights off, opened the window and laid next to me. There was a little light in the room.
“Tiffany,” Reggie said my name to get my attention.
“Yes?”
He scooted closer to me and stroked my hair while staring me straight in the eyes. “Why are you here?”
“What do you mean? You asked me to come here, remember?” I said with a chuckle.
“I know that…but why are you here?”
“Reggie, I’m not following you.”
Then he got serious with me. “I mean, why did you get out of bed at ten o’clock at night to come over here to be with me?” He stopped rubbing my hair and propped up on his elbow to stare directly into my face.
“Because you asked me to.”
“I know I asked you to, Tiffany, but why did you come here? I guess what I’m asking you is, what would make you get out of bed ten o’clock at night and come over and spend the night with me?”
“Reggie, go to sleep,” I told him. Then he rolled on top of me, pinning me to the bed.
“Tiffany, I’m serious. Why would you do that for me? Hunh?”
I helplessly stared up into his eyes. He wanted me to say it – to say that I did what I did for him out of love. I could read his mind while he ogled me, gently teasing my cheekbones with satin thumb strokes that took me by surprise like static electricity.
“Go ahead, Tiffany,” he said in a softened voice. His breath tickled my neck. “Say it.”
“Okay, Reggie. I love you,” I said playfully giggling. “You know that. I would do anything for you.”
He kissed my lips as we listened to the ocean sing us a melody. I went with it. I wrapped my arms around Reggie’s smooth muscular body and kissed him like I couldn’t get enough of him. We were both hot and bothered, breathing in fresh ocean air. Waves crashing. Our bodies clashing. It was about to go down in there.
“Reggie…” I’m surprised I was able to say his name. I wanted to get his attention to tell him to stop but his lips were locked on to me like a set of pliers. “Reggie, I don’t…”
Trust me, nothing was going to happen. I had enough willpower to resist Reggie. I’d done it in the past. I would do it again tonight.
Reggie tugged on my top, attempting to pull it up.
“Reggie.” He ignored my call out to him again. I raked his hand away from my shirt while we continued kissing me. “Reggie…”
“Shh…” he hummed to me.
Can you believe that? He shushed me. He shushed me! I laughed to myself while he was serious.
“Make love to me, Tiffany.”
Those were some words I thought I’d never hear come out of his mouth. They seeped out so…so…seductively. He actually wanted me and that made me feel good, only for a moment. There were no other girls he wanted – just me. However, I wouldn’t allow myself to be vulnerable with him and throw my standards by the wayside. Besides, it didn’t feel right anymore. After everything that transpired between us, I didn’t have those same intense feelings I used to have for him. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him. I would love him forever, but I was not in love with him anymore.
“Reggie, we can’t.”
Reggie was out of control on top of me like a madman in love. “I want you and you want me, right? Don’t you want to know what it feels like to make love to me?”
Okay, so he must have read my journals to make a statement like that, I thought. I did once write that I wanted to know what it felt like to make love to him but that was a long time ago. Now, I was sure what I wanted – and this wasn’t it.
“No, Reggie. I don’t. Please stop, okay?”
He halted and looked at me to see if I was serious or not. Then he fell back on his side of the bed, placing his arms around my waist and kissed me gently on the back of my neck.
“I love you, Tiffany. I don’t know why you’re so afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Reggie,” I said frowning. “I just can’t do this with you. I can’t. I still love you, though.”
We ended the night on a good note – us lying there listening to water, Reggie playing with my hair, making my body jump while his fingers danced across my back. It was cool and I’m glad nothing happened between us. Besides, I wasn’t certain if Reggie was the man I wanted.
***
“Tiffany,” I vaguely heard Reggie calling me and rocking me gently at the same time. I opened my eyes and he had on a smoke gray suit, a white shirt and a gray and black necktie. “It’s time for you to get dressed for work, baby.”
Though the doctor had taken me out of work for two weeks, I decided to go anyway. I mean, I was fine since my relationship with Reggie was somewhat back to normal.
“Oh…what time is it?”
“It’s ten ‘til seven.”
“Okay.” I rubbed my eyes. “I’m getting up.”
“Did you sleep good?”
“Yeah, I did…hey, you have an extra towel?”
“Ah…look in the box right there by the bathroom door.”
I grabbed one and after I took a shower, I walked back into the bedroom with the huge red Tommy Hilfiger towel wrapped around me. Reggie was sitting on the bed as if he was waiting for me to come out.
“Tiff, can you come here for a minute?”
He wasn’t about to get me with that. Not after last night. I could see myself standing in front of him now with this towel wrapped around me then accidentally, it ends up on the floor.
“Reggie, I gotta get dressed.”
“Okay but can you come here first?”
I walked over to him like he wanted. Then he stood up to greet me. He placed his hands on my face and kissed me again. “I love you,” he told me as he looked for my reaction.
There wasn’t one. I didn’t know how to feel. All I could think about was the night I was with Derrick on the beach on our second date. He had asked for permission to kiss me, a kiss that had me seeing stars, feeling a strong connection to him unlike anything I ever experienced.
Reggie’s kiss felt forced, like something he did to get back on my good side. The more I kissed him, the more I could feel there was nothing there, no feelings of intrigue and passion – just a bland attempt to woo me with his kissing skills.
When he released me, I walked away without saying a word, grabbed my clothes and stepped into the bathroom to get dressed.
We peeled out the front door at the same time. “Have a good day at work,” he told me while walking me to my car.
“You too, Reggie.”
He gave me a light kiss on the cheek and then opened my car door for me. I drove to work confused, thinking to myself, what just happened? For a second, it felt like I was the other half of a new marriage (and I say new because men stop opening doors after a while). Reggie was trying his best to take ownership of me and somehow he guessed that, the more he kissed me, complimented me, opened doors for me, the greater his chances would be to lock me down.
Anyhow, when I got to work, I walked in the office with a smile on my face. At least things were slowly getting back to normal and I was actually glad to be at work, and medication free.
“Somebody sure looks awfully happy this morning,” Brenda grunted in her early morning pre-coffee voice. “So either you won the lottery or you got a new man. Which one is it?”
“Neither.”
“Then what’s got you grinning like this?”
“Nothing.” I left it at that. What was I going to tell her? That I spent the night with Reggie, which did have me happy, yet left me a little confounded at the same time.
“Uh huh…” she smirked at me. “Oh…girl don’t forget you have dinner booked with Bentley tonight at six. He wants to discuss the final details of those account closures.”
“I thought he would’ve cancelled since I’m technically not supposed to be here.”
“Well, call him and find out.”
“Okay. Will do.”<
br />
I walked into my office and shut the door behind me. I didn’t think I’d ever been so overwhelmed with this much relationship drama. One minute, I was concentrating on work, the next, I was thinking about Reggie, then about Derrick. Both men brought smiles to my face in their own ways, but having them both on my mind at the same time was driving me crazy. There was no way I could focus on work in this condition, but there was one thing I could do that didn’t require any accounting skills – check emails. That’s when I saw the email from David.
----- Original Message ----
From: “Parker, David”
To: “Water, Tiffany”
Subject: Dinner Tonight
Hey, heard you were back. We can go ahead and keep the account review on the schedule for tonight. I have reservations at P.F. Changs. Let me know if there is going to be an issue and I will reschedule.
Thanks,
David Parker
VP of Operations
- - -
I replied to Bentley, told him the meeting was a go. The sooner I could get it over with, the better. I went back to sifting through my inbox. Mom had sent a few jokes. So did Patricia. Brenda sent her inspirational message of the day and…
Reggie4398 (10:28): hey
The instant message from Reggie interrupted my inbox cleanup and made my heart beat faster. For a moment, I felt nervous as if he were right there in front of me. After last night and this morning, he had me shook.
TiffW49 (10:29): hey…what’s up?
Reggie4398 (10:29): can we do lunch 2day?
Reading his words were the equivalent to hearing his voice in my ear last night. I wasn’t going to do lunch with him – not after the night we had. And my emotions for Reggie were screwed up at the moment. Where was this relationship going? I responded…
TiffW49 (10:30): can’t…tied up here.
I didn’t lie. I had tons of emails in my inbox to read and erase. That would take some time. And not only that, I had to get some paperwork in order for my meeting with Bentley tonight.
Reggie4398 (10:32): dinner?
TiffW49 (10:33): I have a dinner mtg with David @ 6
Reggie4398 (10:34): your boss David?
TiffW49 (10:34): yeah my boss David…I don’t know any other Davids…
Reggie4398 (10:35): y so late?
TiffW49 (10:35): that’s what he scheduled
TiffW49 (10:35): and 6 is not late.
Reggie4398 (10:37): ah’ight…so when can I c u again? :-(
TiffW49 (10:37): y the sad face?
Reggie4398 (10:38): I was just looking forward to being with u.
After last night, I bet he was looking forward to seeing me. I guess he wanted to continue where he left off, trying to seduce me.
TiffW49 (10:38): u gonna b home 2nite?
Reggie4398 (10:38): yep
TiffW49 (10:39): then as soon as my meeting is over, I’ll stop by. Okay?
Reggie4398 (10:39): okay…c u later then.
TiffW49 (10:40): okay…later
I sat at my desk and organized files for my meeting with Bentley. I wasn’t going to procrastinate on this. He was a cool manager, but at the same time, his direct reports had to be on point with their jobs.
When five o’clock rolled around, I packed up all of my things in preparation to meet him at the restaurant. He had arrived a few minutes before I did, and when I walked over to our table, Bentley told the waiter, “Could you bring us both a Mai Tai, and let’s go ahead and order, Tiffany, so we can work while they’re cooking.” He turned to the waiter and said, “I’m going to have the Asian Marinated New York Strip – medium rare.”
“And I’ll have the Sweet & Sour Pork.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back with your drinks,” the waiter said as he took our menus.
“So,” Bentley looked at me and said while popping his knuckles, “Where do we stand on the Brittmeyer account?”
“I have a few more journal entries to make on that one.”
“Great. That’s definitely good news. I really appreciate all of your hard work on this, Tiffany.”
“Thank you, David.”
He smiled at me then gave me that look. It was the same look he gave me earlier this year when he asked me out on a date. I turned him down. Don’t get me wrong, Bentley was certainly a sight for sore eyes and had plenty of money. Nowadays, that’s all it takes to get a woman – looks and money. But not me. Call me old fashioned but I’ll take a great personality over looks any day.
“You couldn’t see yourself with a man like me, huh?”
The waiter had brought over our drinks right after he asked me that question. I took a few well needed sips and responded, “Why you say that? Because I don’t drool over you like the rest of the women in the office?”
“Well…yeah,” David said, chuckling.
I laughed at his straightforward response. “David, it’s not that I don’t find you attractive,” I told him, “But I would never date a man I work with, especially my boss.”
“Why not?”
“Too complicated. Besides, I would like to think I’m getting a promotion because of my skills in the office, if you know what I mean.”
He laughed at me. “I guess you’re right.” He took a drink from his glass. He was cute but I wasn’t one for high-class brothers and Bentley was as high as they come.
“You’ll make some lucky man happy one day though.”
“Thank you.”
“Okay, now let’s get down to business.”
He took another folder from his briefcase and began flipping through the documents.
I finished off my drink as he ran down the details of the next account but all I could think about was Reggie. What was happening to us? Were we still friends, or had we drifted to something beyond that? I couldn’t wait until this meeting was over so I could see him.
My phone beeped in my purse, a text message notification. I flipped my phone open and it was from Reggie. The message said, “I love you, too,” holding the implication that I told him I loved him first. I smiled for a moment but the comment faded at the thought that Reggie could’ve been reading my journals.
IT WAS ABOUT nine-thirty when I pulled up at Reggie’s house. He was out on the front steps, sitting on the fifth step up from the ground.
“Hey, Reg.”
“Hey, Tiff. How’s it going?”
He spoke to me in sadness or frustration only I didn’t know which. I walked closer to him in the darkness.
“Reggie, you okay?” I gently brushed the backside of my fingers against the side of his face.
“Yeah. I’m fine. What about you? How was your date?”
“Date? It wasn’t a date, Reggie. I was working.”
“So who was there?”
“It was just me and David.”
“Didn’t you tell me he had a thing for you?”
Reggie was serious but I laughed it off. “David has a thing for every woman in the office.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t have every woman at dinner tonight. He had you.”
I tried to keep a level head but Reggie was trippin’. So what? I had dinner with David? Who was he to call me out like I belonged to him?
“Reggie, I told you we were working!”
“And did he try to come on to you? Did he try to touch you?”
“You know what. You’re trippin’. I didn’t come over here for this,” I said, heading back to the car to get out of there. As it was, I was tired out of my mind, but still, I kept my word and came to see him. Little did I know he would be a grouch.
“No. Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you.” He stopped me before I got to my car. He gripped my arms tight, holding me in place so I couldn’t leave, gazing upon me in resentment and distrust.
“What’s wrong with you, Reggie? What’s happening to you? What’s happening to us?”
I knew what was happening. Reggie had taken ownership of me as his woman. In his eyes, I was his girl. It
was unthinkable for him to see me with someone else.
Reggie turned me loose after he blinked back into reality. “I just don’t want anyone taking you away from me.”
“But we’re not even together like that, Reggie. Just because we kissed and had a moment doesn’t make me your girl. I think I should go.” And that’s what I did. I got in my car and drove away, leaving him standing there.
Chapter 19
Going to work the next morning was depressing. Reggie and I were just starting to get along and I had to mess stuff up. Well actually, he did that, mistaking my innocent business dinner with Bentley for a date. His jealous ways didn’t become him.
“Somebody must have had a good dinner last night,” Brenda told me as soon as I walked in the office.
“Girl, whatever,” I said casually and kept on walking to my office. When I opened the door I noticed a small box on my desk near my phone. Walking closer, I saw it was a box of Godiva chocolates. There was a card attached in a white envelope. It was all handwritten:
Tiffany, sometimes I get crazy over you and some days that’s a good thing. Other days, bad. But I can’t help it if I’m so in love with you that the thought of you being with another man makes me sick to my stomach. You and I were made for each other and there is nothing either of us can do to change that. I have so much love for you, Tiffany Water. Just the sound of your name makes me thirst for your lips. Love, Reggie
I felt goose bumps spring over my entire body.
Brenda must have assumed the chocolates were from Bentley, hence her comment about me having a good dinner…oh well. I powered my computer on and logged onto messenger hoping that Reggie was signed in.
TiffW49 (8:47): thanks 4 the chocolates
Reggie4398 (8:47): thank you for forgiving me.
I smiled at his response. He was right. I did forgive him for his little bout of jealousy. Honestly, Godiva milk chocolates would make me forget just about anything. Reggie definitely knew how to get back on my good side. I read his card again.
Reggie4398 (8:47): I really wanted u 2 stay last night
TiffW49 (8:48): really?
