Full Figured 14, page 11
“Really? You think I did okay?” I asked.
“You knocked it out of the park, Brooke. And when Jon Holmes, the director from the Southwest region, asked what you thought was the biggest obstacle the training departments are faced with, and you said, ‘Inconsistency of leadership expectation,’ I wanted to high-five your ass.” He nudged me.
“I only said what you and I have been talking about forever.” I smiled.
“And you confirmed exactly what I’ve been telling them forever. I’m telling you, they were eating it up,” he said.
Brandon’s vote of confidence gave me a much-needed boost of energy. True to his word, he had introduced me to each and every person we’d run into so far the weekend and he had also made sure that I was in the right place for the right conversations. He’d also given me the background information on key managers that he felt I needed to know. It amazed me that he was so knowledgeable about the company and was able to call everyone by name. I could hardly keep up, but I had so far. As much as I was enjoying the conference, it was exhausting, and after a full day of sessions, we still had the banquet to attend in a few hours.
“I hope so.” I nodded, adjusting my bag on my shoulder as the small mirrored box we were riding in carried us up to the floor our rooms were on. My feet were killing me, and I was tempted to take off my cute yet uncomfortable heels, especially since we were the only two people on the elevator. Instead, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I gripped the polished brass bar to steady myself. We arrived at our floor with a jolt, and my body shifted into Brandon’s.
“Hold on,” he said, reaching his hand out and grasping my upper arm. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I gave him a half smile, slightly embarrassed. We stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. “Well, thanks again, Brandon. I appreciate your looking out for me.”
He stood in front of me and said, “Brooke, you don’t have to thank me. You’ve earned this position, and I have no doubt you’re going to get it. You proved that to me and everyone else the past three days.”
“It’s been only three days? Are you sure? It seems like it’s been longer.” I laughed. “Well, I’m gonna go and catch a quick nap before we have to be back downstairs.”
Brandon took a step closer to me and gently rubbed my shoulder as he stared at me. “You know,” he said, “we really don’t have to go to the banquet. They won’t miss us. We can have dinner in my room.”
I immediately knew what he was suggesting, and simply said, “Come on now, Brandon. You know we can’t go there again. It was one thing when you weren’t my boss, but we both agreed a long time ago, that book is shut.”
“In a few days, you won’t be directly reporting to me, so technically, I won’t be your boss. We can reopen it,” he said with a seductive grin. “Admit it. We’re good together at work and at play.”
He was right. We were good together, both in the office and the times we were in the bedroom, and there was a time not so long ago that I’d contemplated hooking up with him again if the right opportunity presented itself. But now that it was standing right in front of me, I didn’t want it. All I wanted to do was go into my hotel room, get undressed, lie across my bed, and FaceTime Taurus, the same way I’d done every night since I arrived at the conference.
“I feel you, Brandon, but I can’t. You’ve been a great boss, an even better friend and, no doubt, once upon a time, a long time ago, a great lover. But that can’t happen again.” I sighed.
“Hey, it wasn’t that long ago.” He shrugged. “And I respect that. I guess I’ll see you downstairs, at dinner.”
“Of course.” I nodded. He walked down the hallway to his room, and I headed to mine and used my key to go in. After tossing my bag down and kicking the painful heels off, I took off my suit blazer. I didn’t even bother taking off anything else before I hopped onto the bed and dialed Taurus’s number.
He answered on the first ring, letting me know that he was just as excited about talking to me as I was to him. “Well, how was today?”
“Today was great. Although I was a little sleepy, because someone wanted to talk me to death all night about how Will Smith deserves way more Oscars,” I said. “But Brandon gave me my props and said I knocked it out of the park.”
“I’m not surprised to hear that, and I’m sure you did,” he said.
I noticed the shelves in the background on my phone’s screen and asked, “Are you at Bed Bath & Beyond?”
“Uh, yeah. You like these?” He held up a pair of ugly blue sheets.
“Ew, no. And what thread count are those?” I looked closer at my phone.
“I don’t know. I was just gonna grab some new ones, since they sent me a coupon. Because, you know, someone seems to mess mine up sometimes,” he whispered.
His hilarious comment caught me off guard, and I laughed hysterically, then told him, “That’s because you don’t listen to directions. When I say stop, it means stop.”
“Nah. Once I start, ain’t no stopping, boo. And the thread count on these is two hundred.”
“Oh God, Taurus. Those are gonna tear up after you wash them twice, and they’re probably stiff as hell,” I said.
“You like stiff . . . Never mind.” He laughed. “So, what thread count should I get?”
“Get Egyptian cotton, four hundred. Those should be good,” I told him.
“Okay. What about these?” He held up a nicer burgundy set that I recognized.
“Those are fine. I actually have some like that,” I said.
“Really? I wouldn’t know, because I’ve never seen your bed,” he said. “But you’re the decorating expert, so I’ll get them.”
It was the first time he’d mentioned my place, and it dawned on me that I’d never invited him over. My apartment was my sanctuary, and I rarely, if ever, invited a man over. Not even Brandon. I didn’t feel comfortable with anyone in my space. The only person who had the access code to even get into my place was Emory, and she used that only in case of emergency or when I needed her to go in. It was my safe haven, and I kept it guarded. That was also why I was skeptical about having Brittany come and stay. Well, there was also the fact that I hadn’t mentioned Taurus to her, either. But even if I wasn’t dealing with my current conundrum, I would still be just as hesitant. I loved my sister, but living with her wasn’t something I wanted to do, unless it was absolutely necessary.
“I’m not an expert,” I said, tucking my feet under the comforter.
“So, are you finished for the day?” Taurus asked.
“Well, we actually have a banquet to close the conference out in a little while, but Brandon says it’s not a big deal if I don’t go. So, I’m actually thinking about skipping out on it. I don’t feel like getting dressed up, anyway.”
“I don’t believe that. You’re always dressed up. You’re probably dressed up now,” he said. “Looking all fancy.”
“I’m not dressed up. I have on a business suit, thank you.” I laughed.
“It’s probably dressy. Hold the phone out and let me see,” he instructed.
“Fine.” I stood up, walked over to the mirror, and held the phone out so he could get a good view of the white blouse and gray slacks I wore. “See? Simple business attire.”
“Nice.And where’s the lace?”
“What lace?” I asked, looking down at my outfit.
“The lace underneath.”
“Taurus, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I smirked.
“You do. Now, show me the fancy lace.” He winked.
“Oh, you mean this?” I opened my blouse just enough for him to see a hint of the black lace bra I was wearing.
“I knew it,” he said. “Come on. Show me some more.”
“Aren’t you in the store?” I whispered.
“Nobody can see you but me, girl.” He kissed his teeth and made a face at me. I unbuttoned another button and opened my shirt a bit more, revealing my cleavage. He licked his lips as he continued to watch. “Ah yeah.”
“You’re such a perv.” I giggled.
“Nah, if I was a perv, I would be telling you to take it all off,” he said.
I was about to respond when there was a knock at my door. I told Taurus to hold on before I put my phone on the bed and walked over to see who it was. I looked through the peephole and saw Brandon standing there and smiling.
“Brandon, what’s up?” I asked him as I opened the door.
“You did it,” he announced as he stepped inside my room.
“Wait, what do you mean? Do not play with me, Brandon.” I tried not to get excited.
“Well, when you declined my invitation to join me in my room, I went back downstairs to the bar, and Gregg and a few others were there. They didn’t waste any time letting me know that I was right and you’re the ideal person to replace me when I move up,” he announced. “Congratulations, you will soon be the new manager of training, education and development.”
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed. Then I squealed and threw my arms around Brandon’s neck.
“I’m happy for you. Damn happy,” he said when I released him. I saw that he was staring at my partially open blouse. “Now, you sure you don’t wanna go and celebrate?”
“I’m sure,” I said, pulling my blouse closed. “When do I start?”
“Well, the official announcement will be made at the midyear office meeting next month, along with some other changes. So, don’t go moving into my office just yet,” he said. “And you still have to train your replacement.”
“It’s not gonna be Holly, Brandon,” I told him.
“We’ll talk about it this week. In the meantime, I’m going to find some trouble to get into around here.” Brandon turned to exit.
“You know you’re a high-level exec now, Brandon. Please remember that before you get into trouble you can’t get out of,” I said.
“Point taken.” He waved as he walked out.
When he was gone, I squealed once again. All my hard work and sacrifice, not to mention patience, had paid off, and I’d landed the management position I wanted.
“Uh, hello?” said a faint voice.
I looked at the bed and saw Taurus’s face still on my phone. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. That was Brandon, my boss, and he came to tell me—”
“I know, I know. Congratulations, Brooke,” he said.
I could hardly contain my excitement. “I guess you heard all of that, huh?”
“I did. When you squealed at first, I thought something was wrong, and so did all the folks at the checkout.”
“My bad,” I said, apologizing.
“You good. Why didn’t you wanna go celebrate with him, though? This is big news for both of you,” Taurus said.
“Nah, I’m not celebrating with Brandon. I really think I’m gonna grab the next flight out and come on back,” I told him.
“Tonight?”
“Yep,” I said. “I believe I am. So, let me go and find a flight and an Uber, and I’ll hit you up when I get to the airport.”
I was on cloud nine as I pulled up my travel app on my phone, found a flight that I’d be able to make, and requested an Uber. I got packed in record time. I was heading to the hotel lobby when Brandon, who was standing outside the banquet he had said he wouldn’t be going to, spotted me.
“You’re leaving?” He glanced down at my suitcases and gave me strange look. “You . . . I . . . Uh, are you all right?”
“Yes, Brandon. Calm down. I’m fine,” I told him, and he relaxed. “I decided to just head out when you said the banquet was no big deal.”
“Oh, okay,” he said. “Cool. I thought about leaving myself, honestly.”
Gregg, our manager, walked over and asked, “Brooke, you’re leaving us?”
“Yes, sir, I am. Tomorrow’s my mom’s birthday, and I was supposed to spend the weekend with her. So, I’m trying to do what I can to stay in her good graces,” I told him.
Gregg nodded. “Say no more. I totally understand.”
“I would like to say thank you so much for allowing me to attend the conference. It was truly an invaluable experience, and I learned a lot.” I extended my hand, and he firmly grasped it.
“It was wonderful having you here with us. You made a big impression on some important folks, and I’m sure Brandon has already told you that you’ll be getting a new title, and so will he.” Gregg beamed.
I nodded. “He did mention something to that effect.”
“You deserve it. Both of you. You make a great team, and I hate to see him go, but I have no doubt this will be a smooth transition for the two of you. You won’t let me down.” Gregg looked over at both of us like a proud father might.
“We definitely won’t, Gregg,” Brandon assured him.
“Well, gentlemen, my car is out front. I’ll see both of you on Monday,” I said.
“Make it Tuesday. The three of us will have a sit-down and discuss some things. Besides, you deserve an extra day off. You can spend it with your mom,” Gregg said.
“See you Tuesday,” I told him.
I made my way out of the hotel and climbed into the Suburban that was waiting. As soon as I boarded my flight and settled into my first-class seat, my phone vibrated. It was a call from Brittany.
“Talk fast,” I said.
“Hey, what time are we supposed to be at the spa tomorrow?” she asked.
“Two thirty. The appointment is under her name,” I told her.
“Are you going to make it back in time? You know she’s already been complaining that her girls’ weekend has been cut down to one day.”
“I’ll meet you guys there. And she’ll be okay. After the spa we’ll go somewhere nice for an early dinner, and y’all can be on your way back home before dusk,” I said.
“All right. We’ll leave here around noon, I guess,” Brittany said.
“Cool. I gotta go,” I told her and hung up so I could get adjusted in my seat. The plane took off soon after, and I was asleep before the flight attendants gave their presentation, and I remained asleep until we landed.
“Hey. What are you doing?” I said into the phone as I grabbed my two bags from the conveyor belt at the baggage claim.
“Braiding my sister’s hair,” Emory said.
“Damn. You’re at her house, or is she at yours?” I asked.
“I’m at hers. I ain’t have shit to do this weekend, so I drove out here. Why? What’s up?”
“I needed a ride from the airport,” I told her. “It’s all good. I’ll catch an Uber.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Emory asked.
“I decided to come back at the last minute. But I do have some news to share with you, though,” I told her.
“Good news?”
“Great news,” I said.
“I can’t wait. I have something to talk to you about too,” Emory said.
I felt someone staring at me, and I looked up. There was Taurus, smiling as he held a piece of paper with my name written across it and a rose. I blinked a few seconds to make sure I wasn’t tripping.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as he walked toward me.
“I figured you’d need a ride. I’m here to pick you up.” He kissed my cheek and placed the flower in my hand.
“Hello? Brooke? Are you there?” Emory’s voice came through my AirPods.
“I’ll call you back,” I told her and hit the END CALL button.
“Are these the only bags you have?” he asked, reaching for my luggage.
“Yeah,” I said, still shocked to see him. “How did you even know what time my flight was landing?”
He shrugged. “There weren’t too many flights coming in from Fort Lauderdale, so I used deductive reasoning and hoped for the best.”
“I don’t know if I should be happy or afraid,” I told him.
“Why? Don’t you need a ride?”
“I mean, I do. But that’s kinda stalkerish, don’t you think? And what would have happened if I had had another dude waiting here for me? Did you even think about that?” I asked as we walked out of the airport.
“I did. But I figured the possibilities of that happening weren’t that great, considering you really ain’t looking for nothing special with anyone. Most dudes who ain’t special don’t do airport runs,” he said. “And don’t get it twisted. Just because I’m giving you a ride from the airport doesn’t mean this is a thing. We still ain’t attached, Strings.”
We arrived at his car, and he opened the door for me. I climbed inside, then leaned over and opened his side while he put my bags in the trunk. I sniffed the rose and fastened my seat belt. I was still surprised. He’d shown up at the airport to pick me up without me even asking, with a damn flower and a name card. Had it been anyone else, I would’ve felt extremely uncomfortable. But because it was him, as much as I hated to admit it, I kind of liked it. I thought to myself, This is totally not you. What are you doing, Brooke? It was an unexpected gesture, and I was impressed. I was also something else.
“So, are you hungry?” he asked when he got inside the car. “Or are you tired and ready to go home?”
“I’m ready to go home, but I’m not tired. And I’m hungry, but not for food,” I told him.
He grinned as I gave him my address, and he put it into the car’s GPS system. We got to my apartment, and he carried my things up for me. For some reason, I was nervous as I opened my front door and we stepped inside.
“You can leave the bags right there,” I said as I cut on the light.
“Wow. Your place is really nice,” he told me as he looked around.
“Excuse that area over there. That’s my shopping corner.” I motioned toward the boxes and bags near the wall in the dining area.
He sat on the sofa, and I handed him the remote. “Here you go. Make yourself comfortable.” Then I poured him a glass of wine, and handed it to him. “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be back out shortly.”
He smirked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to join you?”
As enticing as the thought of his body all soaped up and pressed against me in the shower was, I politely declined. “I don’t know you well enough to share my good soap.”
