Thirty-Five
“ T his is great. Now all we need to do is get with Jackie and have her start working on the social media advertisements, and we’ll be ahead of schedule.”
Jeremiah stands behind me looking over my shoulder at another cardboard mockup of a billboard we plan to run for the Golden Diamond campaign. Now that construction for the casino is well underway, we need to get going on ad placements on the internet so that people outside of Philly can hear about what we’ve got coming. As usual, Jeremiah has done a phenomenal job creating another billboard that will catch people’s attention as much as his savvy fashion.
“Jackie? You know I can't stand her,” Jeremiah huffs, shaking his head as he steps to the front of my desk, his white button up completely devoid of wrinkles like he just stepped out of the dry cleaners.
I scoff as I nod in agreement. “Nobody likes her, but if we get this done now, I don't have to worry about Sierra coming in here and asking me for it. We can beat her to the punch, and I can rest easier at night knowing I made her feel dumb for requesting something we’ve already finished.”
Jeremiah nods, but I see the irritation in his eyes. “Fine, whatever. But it’s just after lunch time, and if I throw up everything I ate because Jackie’s breath is in there smelling like boiled bologna, I absolutely am going to blame you.”
“That’s fair,” I reply with a laugh. “Just hold your breath as you give her the design.”
“Girl, you're trying to make me pass out.”
“Is it not worth it to avoid her breath?”
“Ugh. You're the worst,” Jeremiah says, his annoyance finally giving way to his smile. “Anyway, how are things going for you? How is sleeping with the boss treating you? Good still?”
I push my locs back over my shoulder as I glance outside my door to make sure no one is near. Simon and Sierra stand over by the bullpen, but I think they’re far enough away to have this discussion as long as I speak quietly.
“It’s good,” I answer in nearly a whisper. “I spent the night at his place again last night.”
“Oh, so then you're exhausted,” Jeremiah quips.
“Actually, I'm not. We didn't get into anything like that. He gave me a back massage, followed by a shoulder massage, followed by a foot massage as we watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days and drank wine. Then I fell asleep in his arms and woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen. We ate the breakfast he made for us and came to work—in separate vehicles of course. It was an amazing night that didn't need sex.”
Jeremiah doesn't respond. His eyes bore into me without even blinking, making him look like a well-dressed mannequin. He stares at me for so long that I get nervous he might actually be stuck.
“Did you just glitch to death?” I joke.
“Shut up,” he finally says, snapping out of it. “You spent the night getting massaged ? Are you kidding me? That man down the hall—that unfairly attractive man sitting in the office over there—ties you up in his playroom and makes you orgasm over and over again regularly, and then pampers you all night? Are you freaking kidding me, Nia?”
“Damn,” I exclaim with a frown and furrowed brows. “What’s wrong with that?”
“Your life is perfect and mine isn’t, that’s what’s wrong with it,” Jeremiah says, screaming and whispering at the same time. “You're living the goddamn dream. Do you know that? What you just told me doesn't even sound real. That shit sounds like Nasir Booker wrote it.”
My smile is wide and proud as I lean back in my chair and put my hands behind my head like I'm relaxing on a beach. “I can't help it if my life is so dope that it sounds like fiction. That’s what happens when you don't settle for the mediocrity that runs rampant in the dating pool. I spent enough time kissing frogs. Now I have a kinky prince. Don't hate.”
“No, I do,” he fires back. “I hate you. I love you and I'm happy for you, but I hate you. Is that why you couldn't come to Jaz’s? You were too busy getting rubbed down?”
I roll my eyes as I sit up straight, the memory of my conversation with Jaz returning to the front of my mind and obliterating my good mood.
“Don't start,” I tell Jeremiah. “You sound just like Jaz.”
“Girl, she was clearly pissed last night,” he explains. “She didn't say much, but we all know that face Jaz gets when she's upset. It was on full display.”
“Ugh, whatever. I can't control how Jaz feels, but hating on me for having a man is not what I expected from my best friend since I was seven.”
“I don't think she's hating,” Jeremiah says. “I just think she's not used to this and she misses having you around.”
“I’ll still be around, but we’re just getting underway and it’s still a secret from most people. Once we’re out in the open and I introduce him to her and Michael, then we’ll come hang out together. But the days of poor old Nia sitting in the corner all alone, scrolling FET while the couples mingle are over, and I don't intend on going back to that. So, she’s just going to have to get over it.”
“Well, personally, I think you should talk to her. Don't let this fester and grow into a monster that eats your friendship.”
I let out an exasperated sigh as I nod, knowing that Jeremiah is right, but also not wanting to even get into the conversation with Jaz about all of this. Although I've made the point before, I didn't require a conversation about our friendship when she married Michael. I was simply there for her and was patient as she dived into her marriage and swam through her honeymoon phase. I never made their relationship about me even when they were dating and I was still heartbreakingly single. All I want is the same courtesy, and not getting it is starting to rub my nerves raw.
“I guess so,” I force myself to say, but before I can push anymore words through the filter before they reach my mouth, I see Rome standing by the bullpen looking directly at me. When he sees that he has my attention, he motions for me to follow him.
“I’ll figure something out,” I say to Jeremiah as I stand, watching as Rome turns and goes into the breakroom. “Anyway, talk to Jackie and let me know when she's rolling on the online placements.”
Jeremiah nods before walking out of the office and going straight into Jackie’s. Once he's gone, I speed walk through the bullpen, brushing past a sour-faced Sierra on my way to the breakroom. I place my hand on the knob and turn around to make sure no one is coming, then I step inside. The second the door closes behind me, Rome pulls me over to him, wraps me in his arms, and kisses me like he couldn't stand to be apart from me a second longer.
His tongue presses against mine as he kisses me, creating pure lust out of thin air and making me forget that we’re in the breakroom at work. It takes a few reckless seconds for us to realize what we’re doing before Rome takes a hesitant step back.
“Sorry,” he says, but his grin suggests otherwise. “I just really needed that. I've spent all day talking about budgets for each campaign, and I desperately needed something to re-energize me. Turns out, you're just the jolt I needed, my little goddess.”
I release a long sigh, doing my best not to focus on his lips or his chiseled jaw. “You shouldn't call me that here. It makes me forget that there are public indecency laws.”
“Oh? You know I like having you on edge, so maybe I’ll just keep doing it,” Rome says.
“Ugh. Always the tease,” I say. “Anyway, we shouldn't stay in here long. I need to get back out there and make sure Jackie starts the social media placements and doesn't give Jeremiah any shit for asking. Your place after work tonight?”
Rome takes my hand in his and pulls me close. “Absolutely, and it’s not getting here fast enough.”
“I agree,” I reply, just before we kiss again. I maintain control this time, pulling away before my mind wanders off too far. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”
Rome squeezes my hand as I try to open the door, making me giggle like a schoolgirl.
“Okay. Ciao .”
I should be embarrassed by how uncontrollably wide my smile is, but I can't help it as I pull the door open and step out. However, my smile vanishes the second I step over the threshold and bump directly into Sierra.
She stands just outside the breakroom, only inches from the door with a disgusted and angry look on her face, and I can see it in her eyes that something major just happened.
“Hey,” I say, hoping she’ll just greet me like normal and move on, but I have never had that kind of luck.
“I bet you thought none of us would ever find out, huh?” she asks, and icicles immediately form on my heart.
“What?” I reply, but I know it’s pointless.
“Don't play stupid with me,” she says, making no effort whatsoever to keep her voice down. “I saw the way you rushed into the breakroom after Rome went in there, and I had a gut feeling that if I just happened to glance through the window in the door that I would see something that wasn't meant for my eyes. Turns out my intuition was right. I saw you, Nia. Just now. I saw you kissing Rome in the breakroom.”