Twenty-Four
TWENTY-FOUR
Noble
“H ello.” I turned down the music flowing from my speakers.
“Noble Washington?”
“This is he.” I don’t usually answer numbers I’m not familiar with, but with all the jobs my recruiter recommended me for, I didn’t want to miss anything.
“Great. Hello, Mr. Washington. This is William Levy, from the EMD Group. We’re a consulting firm for midsize business leaders. I sent you a few emails but figured I should call.”
That’s what I got for using the same phone for work and personal use. This guy had called about the email I’d been avoiding.
“Are you there?”
“Uh. Yes. I’m here.”
“In case you didn’t get to read the email, we have a conference coming up in a few weeks and have been looking for a dynamic speaker. You came highly recommended. With your success in growing Push, we believe you’d have a lot of insight to offer the CEOs attending the event. And with your age, presence, and charisma, you’re just who we need. There’s a fairly large honorarium, and your travel accommodations would also be covered.”
I leaned against the stool at my kitchen island. “Tell me more about this conference.”
By the time William, or Bill, as he eventually told me to call him, finished filling me in on the details of the conference, I was sold. They wanted me. They really wanted me, and from what he described, it was just the kind of energy I needed. They surveyed attendees to see what type of leaders they wanted to hear from, and the overwhelming interest was in me and how I was able to make Push so successful while still being so young.
And the conference was in San Diego. At Tim’s suggestion, I’d thought about a quick getaway to get my mind together. This could be it.
“Thanks, Bill. Please send me the details, and I’ll get back to you with a final answer ASAP.”
“Thanks, Noble. It was a pleasure speaking with you, and we hope to work with you soon. You’re an inspiration to young professionals everywhere.”
His words made me feel like the Grinch when his heart started growing. “I appreciate you considering me.”
I ended the call, clapped my hands, and spun around. “You’re back, baby!” I thrust my fists in the air. This was the kind of press I needed while trying to land my next role. Why had I ignored his emails?
I called Tim and then Ty to let them know about the opportunity. Both thought it was great.
“How’s it going at the office?” I asked Ty. He’d been on my mind since my conversation with Tim.
“It’s okay. Everyone is still trying to get used to you not being here.”
“Let me ask you a question.”
“What’s up, bruh?”
“Would you want to be the new CEO of Push?”
“I…” Ty huffed. He didn’t answer right away. “I would to preserve what we built. It would be difficult without you.”
“What do you really want, Ty?”
“What do you mean?”
“If Push wasn’t part of the equation, what would you want to do?”
“I guess I never thought about it. What makes you ask?”
“Just curious. I’ve asked myself the same question lately and I’m starting to understand more about me as I explore the answers. And I listened to you.”
“Interesting.”
“Yeah. Think about it and let me know.”
“Will do, man, thanks.”
There may be an opportunity for Ty and me to work together again. I looked at my watch. It was time to get going.
I headed next door to pick up Holland. She’d agreed to let me take her out to celebrate her birthday. Wanting to expose her to more New York flavor, I had grabbed a pair of tickets to a matinee and an early dinner at Carmine’s. This would be Holland’s first time attending a Broadway show.
“You went shopping?” I asked, seeing her in a nice black dress that hugged her curves and low heels. She came to New York ready to work with her luggage filled with tanks, sweats, shorts, and leggings.
“Yep. My whole outfit only cost about eighty dollars.” She snickered, taking a dig at my elaborate spree for the gala.
“And you still look like a million bucks,” I said.
“Thank you.”
I loved making her blush.
I ordered a car to take us to the city, arriving early enough for her to take in Times Square’s throngs of people and bright lights. Holland wore a perpetual smile. Her neck should have been tired from constantly swiveling, trying to take in all the sights.
Holland sat at the edge of her second-row seat during the entire show.
“That was amazing,” she said when it ended.
“It’s a great show.”
“You saw it before?”
“Yeah,” I said, remembering that I had attended a special screening with several other CEOs when our company sponsored their opening-night reception. If it hadn’t been for Push, I probably wouldn’t have seen it.
“And you didn’t mind seeing it again?”
“Seeing it with you made it better.”
Those pretty cheeks flushed again, and I felt excitement in my groin. Down, boy .
“Up next, Carmine’s. A Broadway staple, tourist attraction, and pretty decent restaurant.”
Once inside, we were seated fairly quickly. Most people were still at work, so the restaurants didn’t get crowded until the after-work crowd descended.
“So how did you like everything?” I asked as we waited for our meals.
“It just gives me more to love about New York. I was so overwhelmed when I first got here. But I’ve fallen in love with the vibe.”
“I told you my city was lit.”
Holland threw her head back when she laughed. I wanted to plant a string of kisses on her neck.
Holland sipped her Coke with lemon. “How’s the job search?”
I bobbed my head. “It’s going? I’m not as stressed about it as I used to be.”
Holland tilted her head, giving me a pensive look with those pretty eyes. “What changed?”
I thought for a moment. “A lot. I’m no longer angry about having to leave. Having time on my hands forced me to pay attention to my life. I realized what had been missing, and figured out what mattered the most. My priorities have completely shifted. I joined a board of directors for this charitable organization.” I shifted in my seat, excited to talk about the organization. “They do amazing work. I’m seeing life from a new perspective. Things have more…meaning now.”
“I love that for you, Noble. Seems like we’ve been on a similar journey.”
Yeah, it did, and I hoped we would continue on the same road together.
“Why don’t you just start a new company?’ Holland said, taking a nonchalant sip of her drink, as if she hadn’t dropped a mind bomb on me.
I’d been so wrapped up in wallowing, I hadn’t thought about starting another company. What kind of company would it be though? Push was my best idea.
“If you did it once—” she broke into my thoughts “—you could do it again.”
Completely unaware of the impact of her words, Holland smiled at the waiter and leaned back while he placed appetizers on the table.
“I guess I could.”
“What would it take?”
“An idea. Investors. A team.”
“How hard could that be? I saw how much people admired you at the gala. It’s obvious that you’re brilliant. Just come up with something else.”
Those were the sexiest words any woman had ever uttered to me. I didn’t think it was possible, but Holland managed to score even more points. This was what I was missing. Someone in my corner, without an agenda. Someone who wasn’t afraid to tell me like it was.
“What about you? How much longer are you staying?”
Holland finished her sip and swallowed. “About that.”
My curiosity was piqued.
“I’ve decided to stay. I need to get my things from Charleston and have them shipped here.”
Did she say she was staying? I repeated her words in my head to make sure I heard them right. I wanted to get up and run through the restaurant. Instead, I calmly asked, “Why?”
She sighed. “The short answer is, I feel connected to my real family here. I love that I’m in a place where they laughed and lived. I’ve grown to really like New York. It’s not as big and scary as it first seemed. This city has so much to offer. The food, people, variety…my neighbors.” She smiled at me. “Plus, it’s the change I didn’t anticipate but needed.”
“Glad to hear that, neighbor.” I flashed my wickedest smile.
She blushed again.
“That means more sleepovers?”
“Noble! Stop.” She laughed and popped a piece of fried calamari in her mouth.
“I’d love that.”
Holland’s smile faded, locking eyes with mine. I felt my heart beat in several parts of me. Sparks flashed in her eyes.
“I don’t want to seem opportunistic,” she said, her tone turning serious. “I’ve never slept with anyone so soon after meeting them. You’re a big-time city dude. I’m a simple Southern girl. I don’t know what you thi—”
I held my hand up, stopping her midsentence. “I think you’re amazing. I like you, Holland. A lot.”
Her smile, small and demure, lit up her face.
“I’m feeling you. I want to continue getting to know you. I want to see where this can go,” I added.
“Guess there’s not much you haven’t seen.”
Both of us laughed. I loved how perfectly witty she was.
I raised my brows. “And I like what I’ve seen.”
“Noble!” She swatted at me. She snickered again. “I have to make some changes to make that house home for me, you know.”
“I’m happy to help.”
“Thanks, but I can do this on my own. I have to. I need to.”
“I’m right next door if you change your mind.”
Our food came. Holland scooped some of the salmon, veggies, and pasta onto her plate.
After a forkful of pasta, she said, “Ms. Elsie called someone about a job at a nonprofit organization for me. They have an open position that would be perfect, and they’re looking to get someone in the position fairly quickly. I have an interview tomorrow. Wish me luck.”
“You’ve got that in the bag. We’ll celebrate that along with your birthday. Now, can we have one of those sleepovers tonight?”
Holland gasped. “Noble!” She burst into laughter. When I didn’t join her laughing, she stopped. “Are you serious?”
“As a pandemic.” I widened my eyes, holding back my smile.
“Well.” Holland pushed the food on her plate around with her fork and looked up at me seductively. “I guess I should thank you for such a wonderful afternoon.”
I raised my hand and called, “Check, please!”
The sweet sound of laughter erupted from her. I couldn’t wait to get her back home.
Holland and I barely shut my front door before we started peeling off each other’s clothes. An entangled trail of shoes, pants, underwear, and her dress led to the bed. I kissed the laughter from her lips.
Holland expertly worked my erection with her hands. She knew me now. The intensity made me jerk and hiss. I couldn’t wait to feel her.
I buried my face between her big, beautiful breasts, then flicked my tongue against her nipples until they pebbled.
“Mm,” Holland moaned.
“You like that?”
“Yesss.”
I sucked her nipples again, then inserted a finger inside her, feeling her clit swell against my thumb. Letting my hands do the work, I tweaked, massaged, and caressed her bud, while kissing her deep until she bucked and gushed all over my fingers. I swallowed her screams in more kisses.
Holland grabbed my ass and pulled me to her. I pulled on the condom and entered her to the hilt. Her eyes rolled back. She closed them and licked her lips—her face plastered with pure bliss. Watching her pleasure almost sent me over the edge. I was determined not to come too quickly, but the way she suctioned my erection with her inner walls made me weak. I unraveled fast. Holland parked her hands on my chest, opened her eyes, and stared right at me. It was bold, intense, and so damn sexy.
“Ahh!’ My eyes rolled back. We found our rhythm, molding to one another. Our bodies remembering which maneuvers brought the most pleasure.
We were perfecting our dance until we were ready to explode. I tried to focus and hold on to my composure, but Holland lifted her hips, cushioned her sweetness around me, and met me stroke for powerful stroke. Within seconds, every muscle in me spasmed as pleasure ripped through me. I exploded in torrents, core clenching and unclenching until I’d been emptied. Holland flopped back on the bed, pretty caramel arms sprawled across my white sheets. A satiated smile curled her beautiful lips. I couldn’t kiss them enough.
When my breathing returned to normal, Holland turned to her side to face me. She traced the curves and ridges along my stomach and chest.
“Holland,” I whispered, staring into her pretty face.
“Yes,” she said, her voice still husky.
“This is what you look like when you come.” I opened my mouth and widened one eye, making an exaggerated funny face.
“No, I don’t!” Laughter bubbled from her sweet lips and she swatted me.
“How do you know? You ever seen your own O-face?” I teased.
“Well, this is what you look like.” Holland made a sillier face and grunted like a gorilla.
“Nah, I look cool. Like this.” I raised a brow like The Rock and hit her with a smolder fit for the cover of a magazine.
Another laugh rumbled through her. This time, she swatted me with a pillow. I grabbed it, tossed it aside, and rolled on top of her, kissing her laugh into submission.
“Want.” Kiss . “Me.” Kiss . “To show you.” Kiss . “What I look like.” Kiss . “So you’ll remember?”
Holland giggled. “Yeah. I think I forgot.”
She was already wet, so I entered her again. This time taking it slow and deep until she grabbed fistfuls of sheets, groaning with the rise and fall of her climax.
We showered together, then lay in bed naked, binge-watching another crazy series, and nibbling on snacks and each other.
Holland was still beside me when I woke the next morning. She must have been too tired to leave after our sexual acrobatics the previous night. The more rounds we went, the more creative we got, and the more fun we had.
After waking up to find her next to me for the next few days, I knew she was truly comfortable.