True Confessions. Electa Rome Parks
didn’t believe in office romances. I had witnessed what messing with the boss could do for you—give you your walking papers when the relationship went south, or maybe an internal black ball followed you out the door. Yes, the termination of office affairs had ended some promising careers at my company.
“Kennedy, Kennedy?” Mr. Walker repeated, giving me an odd look with a slight smile on his pale face.
Mr. Walker was forever in need of a few hours of sun, but he was pretty decent. He always treated me with respect and valued my opinion regarding clients. Recently, he personally called and asked me why I hadn’t interviewed for one of the management positions that were open. Internal associates always received first priority over external candidates. Mr. Walker thought I was a perfect candidate to interview for the position.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. “I spaced out for a moment. I guess I was thinking about the workload waiting on my desk.”
“Well, yes. You guys have been swamped with a high volume of calls lately, since we installed the new software. Don’t worry, Drake and I won’t keep you long.”
Drake and I awkwardly stared at each other. I longed to hear what his voice would sound like directed toward me. I thought it would be rich, deep, and sexy. Suddenly, images of him whispering sweet nothings in my ear clouded my brain. What was going on?
“As I was saying, Kennedy, I’d like for you to meet Drake Collins. Drake, this is Kennedy Logan. She’s one of our best senior relations service representatives. Kennedy has helped me out on numerous occasions and has an excellent rapport with many of our top-tier clients. She’s a great asset to the company.”
I held out my slightly shaky hand and tried, un-successfully, to stop the huge blush that had assaulted my face. I was pretty light skinned, so I knew that Drake and Mr. Walker noticed the redness that flushed my cheeks, neck, and face.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Collins. Welcome aboard.”
“Same here, nice to meet you too,” he stated as his huge hand swallowed mine. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast of our skin tones as they meshed in a handshake. I observed that Drake had perfectly manicured nails. And his hands, they were smooth and soft to the touch. I knew then that this man took care of himself and hadn’t done any hard labor a day in his life. He had been pampered and catered to.
Even though we were in a professional setting, I saw Drake quickly and discreetly take me in from head to toe. Starting at my feet, Drake swiftly admired my long legs, paused at my hips, made his way up to my chest, and finally took in my glowing face. All in a matter of seconds. When I went out with Taylor, this was the same look that I typically received from the men in the clubs. In the clubs, it turned me off because I always felt I was being sized up like a piece of raw meat by the hungry lions. For some reason, with Drake, my heart gave a quick flutter. This completely caught me off guard.
“Kennedy. What a lovely name.” My name just flowed off his tongue like a fine wine poured into expensive crystal glassware.
“Thank you.”
“Are you originally from Atlanta, Kennedy?”
“Yes, born and raised here. I am a true Georgia peach.”
“I can’t believe it. I’m finding it’s rare to find a true Atlanta native. Everyone here seems to be a transplant from New York, Florida, or someplace up North.”
“Well, you’ve found me.”
“Indeed I did.”
He smiled.
I smiled.
“Maybe you can suggest some good restaurants for lunch and dinner, for that matter. I just relocated from Los Angeles, and I’m still learning my way around and finding the hot spots in the city.”
“I’m afraid I’m the wrong one to ask. I usually eat lunch at my desk. I’m a diehard brown bagger,” I explained. Drake’s eyes never left mine. I could get lost in them. Drown. When the sunlight from his open window blinds hit them just right, the specks of green in his eyes danced around in merry circles.
When we heard Mr. Walker politely clear his throat, we came back to reality. As I brushed my wild hair out of my face, I quickly blushed again and looked down at the floor. Suddenly, I wished I had worn my nice black Donna Karan suit and put on some makeup. Plus, I was in dire need of a manicure. I quickly balled my fingers into tight fists at my sides and hoped he hadn’t noticed.
“Well, Miss Kennedy. It is Miss, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” I wanted to scream out, Yes, I’m single. Single and available. It had been awhile since I’d been in a long-term relationship. Any relationship.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I may have to call you so you can explain to me some of these reports you guys generate in your department. And if Bill recommended you, then you must be great,” he said, holding my hand again, a bit too long. I shuddered and felt a moisture that surprised me.
“Nice meeting you too, and I’ll be glad to explain the client reports. They can be a bit confusing to someone not used to reviewing them. Just give me a call. I’m in the directory, extension 3-5123.”
“I may certainly do that,” he said, releasing his hand and eyes from mine. My heart finally stopped fluttering, slowly returning to near normal.
As Mr. Walker and I walked out, I felt Drake’s eyes as they seductively caressed my butt. When I discretely glanced back, our eyes meshed, I was lost, and he smiled. I offered a weak one in return and kept walking, faster. Somebody was a lucky woman because I knew that man had a woman. And if she was smart, she was a woman who kept a close eye on him. As Taylor would say, “Don’t shit where you eat.”
Drake could almost make a woman go back on her promise to never date someone she worked with.
Later that evening, after a somewhat tense day with Mother, I decided to give Taylor a quick call. I didn’t feel like talking, but I knew if I didn’t call her back, I’d get sixty questions later on. And I had no intention of telling her of my attempt to take my life. Sure, she was my best friend, but I was a private person to a fault. There were some things even Taylor didn’t know about me. Many things she probably never will.
She was always complaining that she told me all her business and I consistently held out on her. Not that there was much to tell on my end. Taylor, on the other hand, always had an exciting story to share. I told her that she needed to write a book or two. Relationship stories with lots of drama were bestsellers.
I dialed Taylor’s phone number from memory, and lay back against my bed pillow. It was raining lightly outside and I could feel the gloom trying to pull me back in and consume me. I had lit a couple of my favorite candles to give my room a nice, fragrant smell. Lately, it smelled stuffy and confining. I realized I was going stir crazy; the walls were closing in on me and my random thoughts.
Mother and I had shared an uncommonly quiet dinner. I knew what was bothering her even if she wouldn’t admit it. She didn’t want me to talk with Drake or have anything else to do with him. And I could understand her feelings, but I couldn’t make that promise to her, not just yet. I couldn’t make the promise to myself. So, Mother tried not to confront me, and I tried not to upset her anymore than I already had. Therefore, dinner was quiet and subdued and strained. Each of us was lost in our own personal thoughts as we ate shrimp linguini, a garden salad, and rolls, and drank iced tea.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl,” I said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.
“Oh, so you finally call back your best friend? Where have you been? I’ve been calling and calling for two days now. Images of your dead and rotting body were running through my mind,” she said, releasing that high-pitched, cheery laughter of hers. Taylor was always in a good mood. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’d seen her in a foul mood. Me, I was another story. I thought