Lunchtime Chronicles_The Nooner

by Reana Malori

  Since she couldn’t have the one she wished for, she’d take her chances with the man who wanted her. One who turned her on with his words, weaving scenarios that had her panting with need. It was time to forget the numerous reasons she’d held back. It was time Joy lived the life she wanted.

  Joy: Yes. Let’s meet for lunch. Tomorrow?

  Patrick: Can you take a long lunch? I don’t want you rushing away.

  Joy: Why? What are you planning for me?

  Patrick: I just need your time. I need you to give us a chance.

  Joy: I don’t even know your full name.

  Patrick: You will tomorrow. I promise. No more secrets once we meet in person.

  Patrick: Joy, it’s been four months. I need the real woman.

  Joy: Now you’re talking crazy.

  Patrick: Sweetheart, just go with it. Don’t push me away. Meet me.

  Joy: Someplace public. That diner on 12th street that makes the Cajun fries.

  Patrick: I knew I liked you for some reason.

  Joy: You’re such a sweet talker.

  Patrick: Only for you.

  Patrick: Meet you there at 12 noon?

  Joy: Yes. See you tomorrow

  Once they finished talking, she became nervous. The moment of truth had come. She’d finally see him in person. The man who’d been seducing her with his words for months. But it had always been at night, his voice low and raw from the long day. Sitting across from him would be a new experience but she was ready.

  He’d sent her a picture when they first began talking. From the photo, she knew he was tall, dark, and handsome. If he still looked as good as he did today, then he would be a tasty treat for the eyes. She knew the basics about him and had the old snapshot, but that didn’t mean he would still look like the man she’d visualized in her head.

  From what he’d mentioned, he stood just over six feet. His profile said six feet even, but he explained that he’d shaved off a few inches. For exercise, he did mixed-martial arts at least four times per week. Light brown eyes and tanned skin. She even knew that he was a conservative, but not a staunch Republican, and his parents lived in a small town in Georgia. He’d gone to college in DC and stayed after graduation to start his professional career.

  Yes, she knew a lot about him, and he knew the same about her. They’d started a relationship based on email and text messages. It seemed easier to share the details of her life in short bursts, even if she held back some of the smaller things that made her who she is today. Some would call it odd to be in a relationship with a man she hadn’t seen in person. Hell, if she weren’t in this situation, she’d say the same thing. But now, she was too far gone, and there was no looking back.

  Now, if only she could quit picturing Kane every time she thought about Patrick, everything would be perfect. Looking at the time, she sighed. Just a few more hours to go before she could get home. She was nervous as hell about tomorrow. Maybe she should go shopping for an outfit to wear. It would have to be something that would fit in at the office and look sexy at the same time. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to get her mind right. There was still work to be done, and she couldn’t lose her focus because of some man.

  Even as she gave herself that pep talk, Joy knew it was too late. Before Patrick entered her life, she’d already been losing her shit over Kane for over two years. From the first moment she saw him walking the halls of their offices, she’d been struck by his presence, his confidence, his Big Dick Walk, and his know-it-all smile. In the two years she’d worked with him, she’d never heard any whispers of him crossing the line with any of the people they worked with. There were plenty of women who wanted to get a taste of him, and a few who tried to get him to take notice. He’d never taken the bait. Which prompted Joy to question why she thought Kane was attracted to her?

  Not that she wasn’t fine as a glass of wine, because she was. But she’d also seen the women who flirted with Kane. She’d seen his dates at the last two holiday parties. Tall. Thin. Blonde.

  Basically, not her.

  A knock sounded on the doorframe as one of the paralegals on her team stuck her head in. “Hey, Joy. Do you have a moment to discuss the case I have for Mr. Cooke? My research isn’t giving me what I need, and he’s getting pissed.”

  “Come on in. Let me see how I can help.”

  Bobby Cooke was Kane’s best friend and partner-in-crime. At least that’s how Joy thought of him. The two men knew each other from law school, and their careers seemed to track together. Both were brilliant attorneys and rising stars at the firm. They’d even made partner at the same time last year. But they were also extremely tough to work with. Some of her employees complained that Kane and Bobby wanted perfection, and if they didn’t get it, all hell broke loose. While she knew that wasn’t the case, she was also aware of Kane’s extremely high standards for anyone who worked with him. He would expect nothing but the best. If a person couldn’t give their everything to him, he had no use for them.

  She wondered if he felt the same about his sexual partners. Did he expect them to give him their bodies, as well as their hearts, soul, and devotion without question? Was Kane the type of man to demand total surrender from his lovers? If so, what did he give them in return? Clearing her mind and pushing those inappropriate thoughts to the back of her mind, she turned her attention to the nervous young woman sitting in front of her. “Okay, tell me more about what you’re having trouble with.

  CHAPTER 3

  Kane

  AS KANE WAITED FOR Joy to arrive at the restaurant, he thought about how they had gotten to this point. When he’d first seen her two years ago, she’d caught his attention like no one else had before. It wasn’t just her beautiful face, but it was the curve of her body and the confidence in her walk that refused to let him turn away. He knew his behavior could be called obsessive. If Joy knew the things he’d done to be in her presence, she’d call him crazy. Maybe he was. Even if that were the case, he wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe he’d do one thing differently and make his move sooner.

  Working with her for the past two years had been torture. As a senior attorney, Kane knew making a move on a new employee would not be a good look. If he’d approached her to ask for a date, and she said no, that would be considered his one bite of the apple. And even if she said yes, the questions that would come up due to him asking her out on a date wasn’t something he wanted to deal with. Not back then anyway.

  Looking down at his watch, he noticed the time. It wasn’t that he was nervous, he simply wasn’t sure about how Joy would react to seeing him. There would be a lot of explaining.

  “Sir, would you like something to drink?”

  Kane looked up at the waitress hovering next to him and nodded his head. “Yes. Bring me a water with lemon.”

  “Right away.”

  As she walked away, Kane leaned back. He’d looked at the menu before he arrived, so he already knew what he wanted to eat. Glancing around the restaurant, he noticed that there was only one other couple around him. That was good; because if Joy began to curse him out, there wouldn’t be many witnesses. Although she was calm and collected in the office, Kane had seen her temper flare on occasion. It was something to behold, but he sure as hell didn’t want to be the one she directed her anger or frustration at. Then again, maybe he was a glutton for punishment.

  His head lifted at the exact moment Joy turned the corner with the hostess as she was escorted to their table. She stopped in her tracks, her mouth opening with a loud gasp. Even with her dark skin, he could see the flush travel up her face. Those beautiful brown eyes of her squinted, looking at him in confusion, which quickly morphed into anger. Her feet began moving again as she stormed over to the table. She smiled at the hostess dismissing her before sitting down in the booth next to him.

  “Kane? Um... Wh-What are you doing here?”

  Her body was trembling, and her voice quivered as she spoke. He could hear the confusion in her tone and almost see the
questions running around in her head.

  “Why are you here? Do you know Patrick? I don’t understand.” Joy reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone, her thumb scrolling along the screen as if looking for a message from someone. She wouldn’t find one.

  “Are you hungry? This place has the best chicken alfredo. Let me call the waitress over so you can order something to drink.”

  She sat across from him in shock. It was to be expected. He could only imagine how this entire setup looked to her. If the situation had been reversed, he would not only be livid at the person sitting across from him, he more than likely would have stormed out of the restaurant before even reaching the table. He could hear a tapping noise against the ground and new it was Joy’s leg. It was one of her nervous tells. Her hands were clasped tight, and her eyes continued to flitter around the busy space. No matter how much she searched, he would be the only one joining her for lunch today.

  “I know you have a lot of questions.”

  Her head swiveled to his, and she rolled her eyes at him. “You think?”

  “Patrick is my middle name.” He shrugged after making that bold statement. If she leaped across the table and try to strangle him, he wouldn’t be surprised. Joy practically vibrated with anger even as he sat across from her smiling.

  “I don’t understand any of this. Is this a joke? Your middle name...? Wait a minute. How can you be Patrick? Listen, I’m not sure what game you’re playing, but I am not here for this.”

  “Joy, listen to me.” Kane shifted his body closer to hers in the circular booth and turned so that he was facing her. “No. This is not a joke. I’m not playing any game. I’m here because we have a lunch date. We’ve been planning it for months, ever since we met on the N2U site. I’ve been waiting so long for this day. Being around you and not telling you who I was has been difficult. When you asked me for a photo, I sent you one from years ago that was a little grainy, and I didn’t have my beard. Every time you asked for another picture, I had to come up with another excuse or reason not to give you one. Do you know how hard it was working with you day in and day out without being able to tell you who I was or how I felt?”

  Kane could see her bottom lip trembling. His hand moved as if to reach up and comfort her, but he stopped the motion. He needed to give her a few more minutes to come to grips with the situation before he did anything further. Any sane person would question what was happening to them. Joy was no different.

  “Why?” Joy took a deep breath after she asked him the question, as if preparing herself for his response.

  “Because I’ve wanted you since day one. But I also know my position in the firm. And I know how much you care about your career and reputation. I needed to wait. Then one day, an opportunity presented itself.” That was the moment Kane knew everything was about to change for him. He’d never had a lack of female companionship, but none of them made him want something more. Not like Joy. The sound of her laugh would travel along his skin, bringing a smile to his face. After a long day and working late into the night, her husky, throaty voice would harden his dick as he thought about sinking inside her lush body. The way she strolled down the hallway in those four-inch heels made him want to see her with her legs over his shoulders. When he dreamed about her at night, the visions were filled with the two of them entwined in bed as he fucked her into oblivion. Her moans and screams filling the room as he plunged inside of her. There was nothing about her that didn’t turn him on. Two years he’d waited for his chance with her. He wasn’t going to give up now.

  “What do you mean?” Her eyes were no longer wide with shock, and the trembling had gone away. Maybe his words were finally sinking in.

  “About five months ago you left your phone in a conference room. Do you remember that?” His eyes traveled along her face, and he regretted the need for secrecy, but there had been no other choice.

  “Yes, I remember. You brought it to me a few minutes after the meeting ended.” As she recalled the situation, her eyes took on a hint of anger, and she leaned back against the leather of their seat. “What did you do?”

  Kane smiled. “It wasn’t my fault. Your phone was still unlocked. When I picked it up, my thumb must have hit the screen. It was still on the N2U app, and my eyes were drawn to the display. I couldn’t help but look. And I noticed your screen name.”

  Shaking her head, she looked away from him for a moment. “So, it’s been you this entire time? We work together practically every day,” she laughed derisively. “How did I not know it was you? We even spoke on the phone several times. I’ve told you all my secrets.”

  “I told you mine as well. And yes, it’s been me this entire time. I needed you to get to know me outside of work. As to us speaking on the phone. Well, it was always late. You were tired, I was tired.” He gave her a long look. “We hear what we want to hear. Although I knew that you were everything I wanted, you had to feel the same way. If I’d approached you out of the blue, what would you have thought?”

  She stared at him for a few moments before closing her eyes briefly. She seemed to come to a conclusion; because when she looked at him again, her eyes seemed clear. “I don’t know. I want to say I would have taken a chance and said yes, but I just don’t know. I would have wanted to say yes to you, but I may have held back because of our jobs.”

  Just then, the waitress came back and stood next to their table. After Joy gave her drink order, they gave their lunch orders as well.

  When they were alone again, Kane picked up their conversation. “And that’s why I needed to wait.”

  She gave him a sideways glance. “So, you’re saying you did all of this because you wanted to take me out on a date?”

  Giving in to the urge, he lifted one hand to hers. Using one finger, he rubbed along her soft skin. Just the touch of his flesh against hers caused him to thicken within his pants. He knew being this close to her was a bad idea. Unless she told him to stop, or walked away, he knew this thing between them would not go away. “I knew your skin would be soft.” He glanced up, looking into her eyes as she sat staring at him. He’d never been one for surprises, but he couldn’t help but be pleased with how their lunch date was going.

  “Kane? What do you really want from me? Is this just a booty call? Did you want to see if you could have sex with the black chick? I’m not trying to be funny, but I really need to understand what this is.” She finished, motioning between the two of them. “I still think it’s a little crazy how we’ve been talking almost every night and you weren’t who you said you were.”

  Shrugging, Kane dismissed her argument. “I’m still that same man. I’m just in a package you hadn’t expected. But let’s not hide the truth, Sweetheart. You and I both know the reason you haven’t left yet is because you want to be here. Want to know how I know that?”

  Joy nodded before taking a sip of her iced tea. “Sure. Tell me what you think you know.”

  Lifting one hand, he trailed his fingers along her jaw and noticed she didn’t flinch. Not even a little. But he did see her exhale. A huge smile came over his face. “That’s how I know. Every glance you’ve given me for the past two years has told me exactly how you feel. Every smile you send in my direction is filled with the promise of what could be. I know this because I want the same thing.” Kane waited as Joy stared at his face. During their conversation, his body continued to move towards hers. They were now sitting so close to each other, their legs brushed against each other. If she ran, he was damn sure going to chase her. This woman was going to be his, whether she knew it or not.

  Their food arrived, and the waitress departed after only a few seconds. Joy didn’t pick up her utensils and begin eating, she sat next to him without saying a word. After another few moments, she looked in his direction, a small smile on her face. “What happens now?”

  “We eat.”

  CHAPTER 4

  Joy

  WALKING INTO THE OFFICE the next day, Joy was nervous about seeing Kane aga
in. Lunch yesterday had been interesting. All the things she’d learned about Patrick were present in Kane. She’d have to begin thinking of him as one person. They talked as if they were old friends, which strangely, they were. Once she got over her shock of Kane sitting at the table waiting for her, she was able to enjoy herself.

  Once they’d returned to the office after lunch yesterday, their paths didn’t cross again the rest of the day. Not that she didn’t walk past his office a few times on her way to other meetings, because she did. Just her luck, he was either behind closed doors or not in his office each time she passed.

  As she stepped off the elevator on the floor her office was located, she was torn between wanting to see him and wishing she’d called in sick. The man she’d gotten to know over the past four months on text messages and email, was the same man she’d been drooling over for the past two years. Maybe she should be more upset. Maybe she should tell him to leave her alone. Under normal circumstances, what he’d done would be a nonstarter. But she knew everything about their relationship was strange, yet they both sought each other out because they needed something more. For that reason alone, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

  She’d tried to call her best friend Mercy Webster last night to talk this through and make sure she wasn’t crazy. She’d been out on a date with some new guy and texted that she’d call today. Joy hoped so, because she really needed to talk to Mercy before she did anything stupid. Arriving at her office, she breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t run across Kane yet. If luck were on her side, she’d at least have one more day to deal with this situation.