Chapter 9 Meet me in the gym. #2
“No, I needed this stuff!” I held up one of the jars. “How do you expect me to start my days without honey for my tea?”
“Right.” He pushed the cart. “The world would come to a fiery end.”
We checked out, and Raymond paid for my items, insisting there was no need to have two separate charges when I got so little. After a tight smile at the cashier, who looked at us with a confused expression, I followed him out of the store.
“Are you going home now?” he asked as he loaded his groceries into his trunk, holding my bag hostage until he was done.
“Yes,” I said and tried once again to grab the bag so I could flee, but he held on to it.
Raymond closed his trunk, walked the cart to the return slot, and then came back over to me. With my bag still in hand, he opened my door for me.
“Drive safely.”
“Yeah, I will.” I took the bag and slipped into the car, avoiding any physical contact with him.
Despite what I told him, I didn’t drive home.
I drove to a nearby park. It was close to a taco spot that was usually busy during the summer.
Often, I would see a long line when I arrived.
The last time I was there, I watched a woman run to her car and take off.
No one else reacted, so I assumed she was a regular nutcase.
But I loved the park just beyond the taco spot.
I parked my car and headed for the trail to the pond. The sun was finally setting, and there weren’t many people around, but a few souls still lingered. I stood by the water, watching the birds floating across its surface.
“I thought you were going home.” Raymond stepped next to me.
Though his presence shocked me, I kept my composure and continued watching the birds. “Why are you following me?”
“Maybe I was worried about you. You said you needed to shop but only got honey and candy. Then, you said you’re going home, but you’re here, alone and looking out at the water like you’re fighting back tears. Be honest with yourself and with me. What’s going on?”
“I do not look like I’m fighting back tears.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Hey, that’s my observation. Something is clearly bothering you. What is it?”
“We can’t do that again.”
“Do what? Grocery shop?” He shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal. People buy food every day.”
“You know what I’m talking about. The—” I lowered my voice. “Sex.”
“For a woman who wants to be in control, you sure are worried a lot about what others will think of you. No one in this park knows us. Why are you whispering as if it’s breaking news you need to protect?”
“You know what? I’m done. Don’t follow me.” I stepped away from him.
He grabbed my hand. “Don’t do that. Don’t walk away from me like that, Jericha.”
“What do you want, Raymond?” I looked down at his hand. “Why are you stopping me?”
“I want you to loosen up,” he said, clearly frustrated.
“Loosen up?” I laughed. “I’m trying to be professional. What do I need to loosen up for?”
“Jericha, we have a temporary partnership. In a few months, we won’t be working together anymore.
Maybe what happened between us isn’t professional, but I don’t care.
” His hand slipped from my wrist to my waist. “I want more of you. And if you think I can go back to just being your partner at work after what happened last night, you’re insane. ”
“I’m not trying to be with anyone right now,” I blurted out.
“Hey, I’m not asking for a relationship.” His hand flexed against my waist. “We’re grown, attracted to each other, and obviously, there is chemistry between us.”
“Are you trying to coerce me?” I looked down at his hand and then back at his face.
“Not at all.” He leaned closer, and the last rays of the sun touched his eyes, making them glow. “I’m just telling you how I feel. If you disagree, I’ll respect that.”
“You say that but…” I looked down at his arm, which he slid further around me. “You’re pulling me closer to you.”
“Yes, and you aren’t stopping me, just like you didn’t stop me last night.” He tugged me closer. “In fact, you took control, Jericha. Remember?”
“Yes, I remember.” My heart pounded in my chest.
“Do it again,” he challenged me. “Take control.”
“Have you considered me walking away was me taking control?” I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back. “Like I said, what happened last night can’t happen again. If you choose to leave our agreement because of that, I won’t stop you.”
I walked away from him, and Raymond didn’t stop me. When I got in my car, I looked back to see him standing on the path. He followed me, but he didn’t stop me. Our eyes met, but I was committed to my decision. I drove away, leaving him standing in the park alone.
The next day, Raymond beat me to the office.
“What are you doing here?” I sighed when I pulled up to find him standing by the door.
“I’m respecting your wishes.” He lifted the tray of coffee in one hand, and two packs of the little pink donuts in the other hand.
“How is this respecting my wishes?” I crossed my arms to keep myself from snatching the donuts from him.
“We’re partners, right? Technically, I work for you. So, I’ll show up, work, and in a few months, I’ll be out of your hair,” he explained. “I’ll also do the coffee run in the morning. The stuff you have here sucks, and this place near my house is too good to miss out on.”
“What about things at your office?” I looked around. “Don’t you have things to take care of there? You can’t be here every day.”
“I’ve already shut down operations,” he replied.
“I meant to tell you that before, but it slipped my mind with everything going on. This is the only open contract I have left. Once it’s done, I’ll move on.
Oh, and if you want, we’ll transfer all employee records to you.
The guys have already agreed to it. Is that okay with you? ”
I took the offered coffee and donuts from him. “Thank you.”
From that moment forward, Raymond was the perfect employee.
He spent little time talking to me, and all his energy with Natalie and the other staff members.
He filled in wherever we needed help and even beat me to the punch on a few items. At the end of each day, he had status reports filed and ready for my review. He gave me no trouble.
And it was driving me crazy.
That’s what he wants! I thought as I arrived to the office a week later. I called myself getting there early to prepare for our meeting with Von, but Raymond was already there.
He wants me to go crazy trying to figure out what the hell is up with him. I refuse to give him the energy. Let him be the perfect employee. Great. Less headache for me. In a few months, he’ll be gone, and I’ll be able to move on with my life!
“Good morning, Ms. Brown,” Raymond addressed me as I entered the office.
“Raymond.” I nodded. “Early again.”
“Yes, of course.” He nodded. “We thought we would get a head start, considering how early the meeting with Von is.”
“We?”
“Good morning.” Natalie stepped out of my office. “I just put your notes on your desk. Everything is ready to go, and the conference room is all set. Von emailed; she asked to move the meeting up by a half hour. I told her that would be fine, so you have about twenty minutes before she arrives.”
“Great.” I swallowed my comments about how annoyed I was with Raymond. “I’ll review everything. Please make sure there is fresh coffee. Von likes the dark roast.”
“Got it!” Raymond stepped forward, holding out a receipt for me. “I had to use my personal card. I’ll need you to approve this for reimbursement.”
“Thanks.” I took the receipt from him and marched into my office, closing the door behind me.
Natalie’s notes were thorough, as always, and by the time Von made it to the office, I felt confident about the meeting. Raymond joined us, and while I expected him to speak up, he remained a silent supporter, nodding when appropriate and taking notes whenever something important was mentioned.
“You’re doing a wonderful job. Thank you so much for how thorough your report was. A lot of studios have been getting hit all over the country. I’m not surprised it's already happening here.” Von stood from the table and took a long sip of her coffee. “You mind walking out with me?” she asked me.
“Of course.” I nodded at Raymond, who opened the door for us but remained behind to clean up the room.
“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me,” Von said.
“Of course. I’m happy to,” I said honestly, because I genuinely enjoyed speaking with her. It was a refreshing break from majorly male leadership.
“I also wanted to ask you for a favor. A private contract of sorts.”
“Oh?” I asked. “What are the details?”
“We’re having a meeting with the executives. It will be downtown, at the Echo hotel,” she explained. “One of the owners is nervous about being there without security. I was hoping you could provide your services. And of course, you will be paid for it.”
“Of course. If you send the details over, Natalie will get things squared away.” I smiled. “We have plenty of available team members eager to work.”
“That’s the thing. After looking at the report you provided…” She paused. “And this is why I wanted to talk to you privately about this. I was hoping you would do the event yourself, along with Raymond.”
I glanced back at the office door and was relieved to find no one there. “You want me and Raymond to do it?”
“Is that a problem? I mean, I wanted to ask you directly because I know how uncomfortable it was before when the exec thought he was the owner and not you. I didn’t want to step on your toes or make it awkward.”
“No, it's fine. Not awkward at all.” I took a deep breath. “Shoot me the details, and I’ll confirm if it works with our schedules. I can’t promise Raymond will be there, but I’ll make sure I am.”
“Perfect. Thank you!”
I stood outside long after Von had driven away; I could feel their eyes burning at the back of my neck. When I turned around, Natalie ran to her desk, but Raymond stood there and waved at me with the biggest grin on his face.
“Did you hear?” I asked as I walked back into the building.
“Hear what?” he asked.
“Von would like us to provide security for a private event next week. They needed the best. So, of course, she wants us.”
“Great. Who do you want to assign?” Raymond pulled out his phone. “I’ll make the calls and set the schedule. I assume she will send over the job notes to Natalie?”
“No, she wants us. You and me,” I told him, and he slipped the phone back into his pocket. “She liked how we handled the incident the other night and wants us to be there in case anything else happens.”
“Is she expecting something like that?” Natalie stood behind her desk. “What’s going on with that place?”
“I think it’s just a precaution. Besides, it is supposed to be an event full of execs. It couldn’t hurt for us to be in the room. Maybe we’ll overhear information about new opportunities to expand.”
“In that case, count me in!” He straightened. “What night? I’ll be sure to be there.”
That was it—perfect agreement. No snarky comment about how much I needed him or wanted him around me.
“Okay, what is this?” I pointed at him.
“What’s what?” He shrugged then glanced at Natalie, whose mouth was slack.
“In my office,” I muttered and headed for privacy.
Raymond followed me into the room, and as soon as he stepped over the threshold, I shut the door and turned on him.
“Why are you doing all this? Being the perfect employee, working closely with the staff. Hell, even Natalie is referring issues to you. Are you trying to convince me to give in?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He shook his head, an innocent look on his face.
I took a deep, calming breath to avoid further freaking out then pointed at the door. “Meet me in the gym.”
“You want to spar?” He perked up.
“Yeah, I’m going to get changed.” I wanted to knock his head off.
After quickly changing my clothes, I avoided eye contact with Natalie as I headed upstairs to the gym. With each step, I could feel her eyes watching me. And I swear she whispered something under her breath about me losing my mind, but I wasn’t about to stop and ask her about it.
The space was empty. I hadn’t considered that none of the staff had made it to the office yet, so we wouldn’t have an audience. That was a mistake, because Raymond stood in the middle of the gym in slacks and nothing else.
“Where is your workout gear?” I pointed at his pants and bare feet.
He glanced down and shrugged. “I didn’t plan on working out today.”
“I see.”
“We can still do this.” He stretched his neck. “You need time to stretch? Wouldn’t want you to pull a muscle.”
“I’m good.” I nodded.
We started just as we did before: simple tactics. But to be honest, I put far more power behind every attack.
“Did meeting with Von wind you up that much?” he asked as he dodged a punch. “I thought you liked her.”
“I do.” I went for a kick, which he slapped away. “My tension has nothing to do with her.”
“Oh, I see.” He grinned. “And what’s the source?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I think it does.” He grabbed my arm and pulled, flipping me onto my back.
“Why?” I looked up at him when he released what could have been an easy pin.
“If you’re tense, you’ll make mistakes. That’s dangerous,” he fussed.
“And you care?” I scrunched my brows.
“Of course I do.” He looked down at me with those green eyes, and, for a moment, I lost my senses.
I grabbed his face and pulled him to me, slamming my lips against his. At first, he responded as I thought he would—lowering his weight onto me—but then something shifted, and Raymond pulled away.
“What are you doing?” I huffed, accidentally showing my frustration.
“I thought you would want to run away again.” He glanced at the door. “Now is your chance.”
“Funny.” I sat up just as he moved to his knees in front of me.
He leaned in close, voice low, with a dark edge to it as he spoke.
“Jericha, if you cross this line with me again, there is no going back. I will not be the nice office boy you can order around. I’m not someone you can toy with. Trust me, I know the kind of weak men you’re used to dealing with. I’m not them. Don’t mistake me for one.”
He got up slowly, holding eye contact for a moment, then turned and left me alone on the floor.