Take It

by Francesca Penn

  Kalilah rolled her eyes. “Meg and David.” She took a step back to put some distance between them. Oh, no. She was retreating again, but he was the cause this time.

  Nick tried to grab her hand and she pulled away. “No. Go be with your family. I just didn’t want to leave you hanging in there.”

  Nick’s hope took a nosedive. “Kalilah, please turn on the iPhone. Can I call you later?”

  She studied him; her expression was guarded, and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Dex caught her attention. She smiled at him and waved. The shades on her head sparkled in the sunlight. Nick waited patiently. Silently praying that she wasn’t about to blow him off. He slid his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground.

  She wore a soft yellow maxi dress that flowed just past her ankles. The halter top of the dress cut deep enough to make her breasts look like delectable mounds on which he wanted to nibble. The dress skimmed over her curves perfectly. It wasn’t too tight or too loose. He stared at her pretty toes that peeked out from under her dress. Her red polish covered toes that were housed in caramel brown open-toe strappy sandals.

  Nick tried to memorize everything he saw just in case she was about to tell him to fuck off. His nervousness and the humidity started to make his shirt stick to him. The silence only lasted a few seconds, but if felt like a lifetime.

  “I don’t know, Nick.” She looked back towards the store before returning her attention to him. Her expression was somewhat pained. “Everything seems so intense. We’re dealing with relationship type issues and we’re not a couple.” She shrugged as if unsure what to say. “We’re supposed to be friends. The one thing I was supposed to help you with hasn’t happened.”

  Nick felt light-headed. He tried looked past the pain and focus on responding. “We were, uh…” He looked towards Dex. “Interrupted.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, and that’s when things got all dramatic. Which currently has us standing outside a grocery store unsure what to say to each other.”

  There were a million things he could say to her; Nick just wasn’t sure she was ready to hear any of it. It chipped a little piece of his heart each time she reminded him that they weren’t a couple. It hurt that she had no clue that he meant what he said in the grocery store, or that his happiness to see her was not for show. They were at a temporary impasse. He had trust issues, and she was a beautiful commitment-phobe.

  “I overreacted, and I apologized,” Nick pointed out.

  She studied him for a moment. “We seem to be stuck on repeat, Nick. Tell you what. Check periodically. If the iPhone rings instead of going to straight to voicemail, then that’ll mean I’m ready to talk.”

  She waved at him, then at Dex and DD. She’d disappeared back into the store before he could say anything else. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, but it did nothing to lighten his mood. Nick took a deep breath and climbed back into the car. He would stop at a grocery store closer to his parent’s house. He mentally prepared himself for the onslaught of questions; he mentally promised himself that he would not take his bad mood out on his family.

  Kalilah woke up suddenly and stared into the blackness of her room. Her limbs were tangled in her sheets, and her body was covered in a sheen of sweat that had nothing to do with mid-July’s humidity. The room was silent except for the beating of her heart and her shallow breathing. She looked at the clock on her phone. 2:30 AM. Damn.

  It was the first night of her vacation, and she had yet another erotic dream about Nick. He was becoming a regular sleep killer. Her dream was so vivid that she almost expected him to be there. Her body still throbbed. Resigned, she climbed out of bed to get a cup of juice. Kalilah pulled on her robe and strolled into the kitchen.

  The last two weeks had been the biggest case of self-imposed torture she’d ever endured. He was polite at work; he’d give her the usual co-worker pleasantries and participate in meetings. Not once had he tried to persuade her to turn on the iPhone. She was happy that he was respecting her decision, but the irrational part of her wanted him to at least mention it.

  Kalilah walked back to her room with her juice and sat at her desk. She sighed and started her computer. There was one good thing about her sexual frustration; her erotic stories were pouring out of her. Her dream had given her another idea that she needed to outline while it was still fresh. Her mind wandered back to Nick while her computer went through its startup process.

  He looked so good yesterday. Kalilah was impressed that he’d committed to his new style, but she saw a glimpse of the old Nick yesterday. He must have been running late because his hair wasn’t as neat as it had been lately and he wore glasses.

  She did notice that he’d upgraded his glasses to rimless frames. They gave him the vision he desired but didn’t hide his face. The look really worked for him, and she wanted to tell him how cute he looked. To add insult to injury, he wore a light blue, fitted dress shirt with gray slacks that fit him perfectly, and he’d topped it off with navy blue suspenders.

  Kalilah almost died when he showed up to the Thursday management meeting. She’d always had a thing for an attractive guy in suspenders thanks to Patrick Swayze in the movie Dirty Dancing. Thanks to Nick, she’d made it through another meeting and could not repeat anything anyone said, including herself. Her break from him didn’t dull her feelings for Nick; it’d only increased them tenfold.

  Natalia and Cayla gave her shit for freezing him out so long. They were team Nick all the way and she was somehow the villain. Kalilah frowned. Weren’t they supposed to be on her side? Either way, the one thing that replayed in her head was the question ‘How would you feel if he started dating someone else?’ Without a doubt, Kalilah knew that it would hurt. The possibility of Nick being with someone else was absolutely unacceptable. The women at work circled him like vultures, and she was ready to put a stop to it. Nick was hers, whether he knew it or not.

  Kalilah closed the computer again. She didn’t feel like typing anymore; instead, she went to her nightstand and pulled out the iPhone and turned it on. Kalilah was nervous. What if he’d given up? What if he had found someone else? What if he had changed his mind?

  The phone chimed to tell her she had a text message. Her stomach fluttered and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The text was from two days ago, and it looked like a small paragraph. She hoped it wasn’t Nick telling her goodbye. Kalilah bit her bottom lip as she read the message.

  Nick: Hey, Kalilah. I’ve tried calling you almost daily, and it appears that you are still not talking to me. I don’t blame you. I do have a track record of overreacting and jumping to stupid conclusions. I wanted to send you this message to let you know that I will still try to contact you until you tell me otherwise. Just in case you have turned on the phone and I’ve missed it because I have shitty timing, you would at least know that I’ve tried. You looked beautiful today, and I wanted to let you know that. I miss you, and it’s not because I’m still a virgin. Lol.

  P.S. This is proof that I can text in full sentences

  He ended the text with a winking emoji. Kalilah was so relieved that she almost cried. He was truly a sweetheart when he wasn’t being suspicious. She missed him. No, More. She wanted to see Nick so bad that she would have happily gone to his house in the middle of the night if he’d asked. The phone had a full battery, so she laid it on the nightstand and snuggled back into bed, hopeful that he’d call her soon.

  Chapter 15

  N ick woke after a restless night of sleep and stared at the ceiling. He didn’t make any sudden moves to pop out of bed. It was pointless; he’d taken a sick day because he wasn’t in the mood to pretend that Kalilah was just his coworker. Maybe after a long weekend, he’d be able to get his head back in the game.

  On the bright side, his siblings had proven to be a much-needed distraction. They’d both expressed, in their own ways, that they wanted him to continue to pursue Kalilah. Dex’s approach was reminiscent of a caveman; he wanted Nick to demand commun
ication. DD, the hopeless romantic, said to wait her out and then woo her when she did answer. Who the hell still said woo?

  Nick had other plans. He’d call her before he went to bed. When he woke up, he would call again to see if she would answer. If, or, when she did, he would follow her lead. Nick reached for his phone out of habit and hit number two for speed dial. He was doubtful that she’d turned on the phone after all this time, but this had been his routine for almost three weeks, and there was no point in breaking the cycle.

  It took Nick’s brain a moment to recognize that the phone was ringing. He shot up into a sitting position, adrenaline pumping through his body while his emotions bounced from excitement to fear with each ring.

  “Hi, Nick,” Her sleep roused voice whispered into the phone. “Are you on the way to work?”

  Nick felt triumphant. He did a silent fist pump. This is what it must feel like to win the Super bowl. “Good morning. No, I took the day off.”

  He heard her change positions in the bed. “Then, why are you awake?”

  Nick tried to determine how much to share. “I haven’t been sleeping that well lately.”

  “Me neither. Do you have plans today?”

  Nick didn’t care if he was supposed to meet the President of the United States, the answer was automatic.

  “No.”

  “Good.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “Then, it’s settled. You’ll be here in about twenty minutes, and we can start Lazy Friday. Starting off with a nap.”

  Nick jumped out of bed and grabbed some clothes. “Ok. Breakfast and I will be there in a bit.”

  He heard Kalilah yawn. “Okay. See you soon.” She disconnected before he could respond.

  Nick performed his usual morning routine in record time. Twenty-five minutes later, Nick pulled into Kalilah’s driveway and killed the engine. He cringed when he thought about all the traffic violations he’d just committed. He checked his hair, something he’d never done in the past, and popped a stick of gum in his mouth, just in case. Nick decided to go casual with some charcoal gray joggers and a maroon and charcoal short-sleeve Henley shirt.

  Nick hoped that it was a good sign that she opened the door before he could ring the doorbell. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and she wore some of her usual lounge clothes. He’d quickly noticed that she’d made a tiny change that spoke volumes about her intentions for their day together. She was wearing a bra and, he assumed, panties underneath her blush camisole and light blue shorts. There would be no fooling around today. She beamed at him; her freshly washed, unobstructed face was breathtaking. Her big brown eyes sparkled, and her full lips were parted in a smile that showed her teeth. Nick willed his body to behave. He would respect her decision.

  “Hello Stranger…” was all she could say before he wrapped her up in a big hug. He pulled her body close to his; she nuzzled her head in his chest and hugged him around the waist. Nick made a conscience effort to keep his hands in a safe place; his left hand cupped the back of her head while the right encircled her back.

  Having her warm body close to his and breathing in her scent was all he needed and wanted for the last few weeks. The knots inside him loosened, and he felt more relaxed. Nick hadn’t felt this content since their last Lazy Friday a little over a month ago. Kalilah seemed just as content to hold him, too. He rested his chin on the top of her head and smiled.

  Did she just sniff me? Nick wondered after she took a deep breath. Either way, he was happy that he’d taken his morning shower and hadn’t skimped on his grooming routine. Nick felt her warmth as she started to speak.

  “Do you have kolaches or are you just happy to see me?” She said, slightly muted because he was still holding the back of her head and her face was stuck against his chest.

  Nick grinned. That’s his girl, always joking.

  Nick kissed her forehead. “Both. I missed you.”

  Kalilah wiggled out of his embrace then closed and locked her front door. “I missed you too.” She smiled at him almost shyly. Nick could tell she didn’t really like admitting things like that. He took a mental note to fix that. She didn’t have to be needy; that would drive him bat shit crazy. He just wanted her to be able to freely say that she missed him or loved him. Love him.

  The thought of reaching his ultimate goal made his chest swell. He needed to know what it felt like being loved by Kalilah, and he was determined to find out. He smiled. Kalilah misunderstood his smile.

  “Come on. Let’s go to my room before you start teasing me.”

  Of course, he was happy she missed him, but he was smiling because he’d decided to make her fall for him. The plan sounded cocky and overzealous, but Nick had a lot of faith in his determination. His body and degrees were accolades of said determination. Their muted steps carried them into her room, and for the first time ever, they sat in the seating area. Kalilah settled in her chair and tucked her legs underneath her. Her pink tipped toes flirted with him. Nick grinned. She had pretty toes.

  The first time Nick was in her room he’d noticed the chairs, but not much else. He was impressed that her master bedroom was so big that she could have a separate seating area with two chairs and a little table separating them. The charcoal, plush chairs were each big enough for two people. Her room was a combination of deep purple, gray, white, and silver.

  The wall behind her bed was covered with Moroccan trellis wallpaper. It was light purple, and the design was a variation of silver and white. The rest of the walls were light gray. The bed was covered with a gray bedspread. One of those girly ones with…ruching? Nick didn’t know what it was called, but it wasn’t smooth. The sheets and pillowcases were soft purple and she had millions of decorative white, purple, and gray pillows all over.

  He missed that bed. Nick knew it was more the occupant than the bed itself, but he’d had wonderful memories in that bed.

  Nick placed the bags on the table and put his gum in a napkin. The television was on, but the volume was muted. Kalilah was looking at him.

  “What did we learn, Nick?”

  Nick sighed and looked at her. “That I really need to stop jumping to conclusions. And, it sucks just being co-workers.”

  She laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

  “I promise I was going to trip the next woman that brought you something she cooked.”

  Nick chuckled and nodded. “You? Not only do they bring me crazy things, they wait for me to taste it! I had to taste cold lasagna at nine in the morning once. Some of them cannot and should not cook.” Nick waved his hands in the air. “Like…ever. I’m forced to smile politely and say it’s good and throw it away when they’re not looking. Not to mention, Natalia would kill me if I ate some of that stuff. Why was it bothering you? Jealous?”

  Nick was awarded with another one of Kalilah’s famous eye rolls. “Not so much jealous, but irritated that they are so transparent! I’m surprised that you haven’t found any panties in your office yet.”

  She rolled her eyes again and shook her head. Panties? Nick’s blood heated at the thought of Kalilah leaving her panties in his office. Or better, her leaving her panty-less self in his office. He shifted in his chair. His dick could not handle his fantasies right now. It has been mad at him for the last few weeks. He started eating as a distraction.

  “I bet none of them even talked to you before you changed your look. Now, all of a sudden, they’re concerned about how much food you’re getting.”

  Nick nodded and responded when he was finished chewing. “It is pretty stupid. It’s not like I would date any of them. Have they not read my dad’s fraternization policy?” Nick noticed Kalilah’s slight flinch. He would have missed it had he not been looking at her. “It’s not like they are my equals professionally,” he amended. “Most of them are the admins of the rest of the VPs. My dad would have a fit. And if the girl is crazy, she could say I used my position to force her. Noooooo, thank you. It would be easier to explain if it was one of my peers.”

 
Kalilah nodded and continued to eat. Nick watched her for a moment. She was starting to slip into that place she usually went from time to time. Nick supposed it was her thinking place. He wanted to be the person with whom she shared her thoughts. The person she sought for comfort after a bad day. The man that made love to her every night. Her everything.

  Nick knew that they were way off course from his goal. The short detour caused by his overreaction taunted him. He would have had her many times by now had he’d kept his cool. He hoped that when their bodies finally connected, she’d open the rest of herself to him. The problem was, he wanted all of her now. Impatience roared through his body, and he had to mentally check himself. Nick had one goal right now – find out where he stood with her.

  Nick threw away his trash and asked her the question that had been bugging the shit out of him for the last few weeks.

  “What’s with James from Accounts Payables? He follows you around like a love-sick puppy.”

  Kalilah’s smile was brilliant, and Nick was instantly jealous. He leaned forward in his chair and placed his forearms on his knees. Luckily, his inner calm bitch slapped him before he could jump to conclusions, and he schooled his face into a neutral expression just in time.

  She looked at him and shrugged, causing the sunlight that filtered into her room to caress her smooth shoulder.

  “Sometimes, he has legitimate reasons to visit and others, not so much. He visits sometimes more than others. I think it all depends on what I’m wearing that day.” She laughed. “Same thing, though. He’s a subordinate. Why? Jealous?”

  Yes. Nick was suddenly grateful that Natalia forced him to do yoga twice a week. It was helping restore his inner calm.

  Some of the tension left his shoulders, but he knew he couldn’t lie about not being jealous. He needed to avoid the subject until they were on less shaky ground. Nick took a sip of his juice and asked her a question instead of answering.

  “Why aren’t you seeing anyone?”