Some Like It Spicy, page 4
He added, “How could I not know you? You’re the one who did the interior for the L4. E.V’s using it as template for our next drop.”
“Oh girl.” Impressed, Justine turned to Anika. “I didn’t know you were that famous.”
Anika blushed. “I’m really not.”
“Don’t listen to her. She’s a star.” Xolani grabbed her purse from the seat beside Anika. She pulled out the charger and held it out to Barry. “Here you are.”
Her matter-of-fact tone and expression gave the impression that she expected him to take his charger and skedaddle.
But Justine wouldn’t let that happen. “Okay, why are you two trading chargers?”
“Not trading. Giving back.” Xolani shortly explained, “I borrowed his charger but forgot to return it.”
“Really?” Justine tapped the seat beside her, drawing his attention to her long, colorful nails. “Barry, sit down. Tell me how this charger saga really went down.”
“She’s told you the whole story.” Barry said, “There’s really not much else to it.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” Justine tapped the seat again. “Sit.”
Barry could’ve easily refused the request, but something told him that if he left now, this might be the last time he saw Xolani. Despite his resolve not to pursue a romantic relationship with her, he was still reluctant to part with her.
Barry took the offered seat. “What else do you want to know?”
Xolani gave him a look, like she couldn’t believe that he’d sat down. But she didn’t ask him to leave. Instead, she took the seat opposite Justine but next to Anika, then raised her hand to order drinks for them.
Barry didn’t like that Xolani was so far from him, but what could he do? At least they were at the same table, and he could still see her.
“So you guys started as seatmates, then found out you were coworkers?” Justine summarized when Barry gave her a recap of how his charger had found its way into Xolani’s hands. Justine looked at both of them in awe. “I think this is Mother Nature’s way of telling y’all to date.”
“No,” Both Barry and Xolani answered at the same time then looked at each other.
Even though Barry had said ‘no’ too, he was incredibly disappointed by Xolani’s swift refusal. Interestingly enough, she seemed disappointed with him too.
“No?” Justine asked. “Y’all don’t want to date?”
Neither Barry nor Xolani answered. They just stared at each other, trying to guess what the other was thinking. Xolani’s gaze held unasked questions, like she wanted to know why he didn’t want to date her. Well, he was curious too. Why didn’t she want to date him?
Xolani turned back to her friend with a smile. “I guess I’m not his type.”
She was definitely his type. If it wasn’t for the coworker thing, he’d be on her like butter on bread. But he couldn’t say that.
“It’s not about type,” he hedged. “I’m just not in the right headspace right now.”
That wasn’t a lie. After the disastrous end to his last relationship, he’d decided to stay single for some time. If he hadn’t met Xolani, dating would never have even crossed his mind.
Justine was unconvinced. Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean_”
Anika’s phone rang, interrupting the interrogation. When she saw who it was, panic suffused her expression. She showed the phone’s screen to Justine and Xolani. Barry saw the name on the screen too. It was ‘Mom’.
Both Xolani and Justine made faces when they saw the name. Almost in sync, they said, “Don’t pick up.”
“I have to.” Anika cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders before swiping the answer icon. “Hello?”
What followed was a barrage of what sounded like Punjabi. The woman on the other end of the phone was doing most of the speaking while Anika gave short responses. Finally, the call ended.
“I have to go home.” Anika grabbed her purse and stood.
“Already?” Xolani asked.
“You know how it is,” Anika said. Her friends’ winces and nods indicated that they indeed knew how it was. In the next minute, Anika was gone.
Barry, Xolani, and Justine were left at the table together, but not for long. A courageous man stopped by their table to ask Justine if she’d like him to buy her a drink at the bar.
Smiling seductively, Justine stood. “I would love a drink.”
“You’re going with him?” Xolani stared up at her friend in disbelief.
“Yeah, I’ll be back_” Justine winked cheekily. “I think!”
With that, she sashayed after the guy. Xolani shouted after her. “Be careful.”
All she got in response was a wave.
“She’s going to meet a serial killer one of these days,” Xolani muttered beneath her breath.
“He doesn’t look like a serial killer.” Barry studied the man who’d taken Justine. The man was bespectacled, had a slight frame, and was dressed quite neatly.
“Ted Bundy didn’t look like a serial killer either, but that didn’t stop him.” Xolani grabbed her purse, then switched seats so that she was right next to Barry. She explained the seat exchange with, “I need to keep an eye on Justine.”
What Xolani didn’t realize was that her movement had brought her much closer to Barry. There were a few inches between them, but that didn’t matter when her delicious scent kept tickling his senses. She smelt of vanilla and cinnamon, like a bakery that was far away yet still close enough to tempt. He wanted to move closer and bury his face into her neck. Only logic and restraint kept him from letting his carnal impulses ruin him.
To distract himself, he asked, “How did you end up in Paris? Were you assigned to the office there?”
“Yeah.” She explained, “They were having trouble branding for that market, so HQ stepped in. Among the qualified marketers, only two of us could leave the country for six months. I drew the short straw.”
“Oh!” Barry made a face. “That’s unfortunate.”
“It had its perks. I got to go to France and experience their awesome culture.” Grinning, she added, “And I met you.”
If this wasn’t the definition of mixed messages, then he didn’t know what was. Just minutes ago, she’d given a resounding no to dating him, and now she was implying that meeting him was as great an experience as working in France.
Unaware of the havoc she was causing within him, Xolani continued, “I think I left for France right as you were getting into the company.”
He said, “Yeah, I’d only been at Rayburn for two months at that point.”
“Where did you work before?” she asked.
“Lantern.” He added, “I was scouted from there.”
Xolani gasped, “No way!”
Her shock was confusing. Given that Lantern was also an automotive company, it wasn’t strange that he’d moved from there to Rayburn.
Xolani pointed to herself. “I came from Lantern too.”
“No.” He was the one who was shocked now. “That’s a lie.”
Lantern was a small company, certainly not at the level of the big boys like Ford or Cadillac. They had few employees and their turnover was incredibly low. Finding a marketer who’d worked at both Lantern and Rayburn was like finding a needle in a haystack.
“Not a lie.” Awe and humor danced in Xolani’s eyes. “First the plane, then Rayburn, now Lantern. If this was bingo, you and I would be neck and neck.”
“I can’t believe we have so many coincidences under our belt.” Excited, he sat straighter in his seat. “Let’s try to see if we have more.”
“Okay!” She nodded eagerly. “Hit me.”
“College?”
“Michigan.”
He winced. “Georgia Tech.”
“Welp!” She threw her hands up. “There end the coincidences.”
“No, no, no. Let’s try a little more.” He wasn’t ready to give up. “High-school sport?”
“Track and field.” She added, “I actually went to Michigan on a track scholarship.”
He’d played basketball. But he was so impressed by her answer that he forgot to be disappointed that they hadn’t played the same sport. He asked, “You were that good in track?”
“I wasn’t too shabby.” She proudly added, “Look me up. I set some records.”
Of course, he had to look her up. That led to a conversation about her athletic history, and how she’d ended up working for an automotive company instead of in the Olympics. Apparently, a career-ending injury forced her to find a new path.
When he expressed his sympathy at her plight, she offered him a grin that made it clear that his pity was misplaced.
“Don’t feel bad for me.” She explained, “I only ran because I have long legs and running came easy. But I wasn’t in love with the sport. I always knew that with my crap attitude, I could only go so far. I’m glad the sport ditched me when it did, because I finally got to do what I loved. Marketing is where I was always supposed to be.”
As Barry watched her speak, he felt weirdly emotional. He knew all too well the feeling of doing something that didn’t feel right to you. He, like her, had escaped the clutches of his expected life-path and found another road for himself.
Even though he was still determined not to get involved with a coworker, he just didn’t see how he could walk away from Xolani. What were the odds that he’d find someone who had identical experiences to him and who it was so easy to relate and talk to?
On the spur of the moment, he proposed, “We should be friends.”
Xolani looked confused. “Huh?”
“We should be friends,” he repeated. When all he got was another confused look, he asked, “I’m not the only one feeling it, am I? This weird connection between us.” He racked his brain for a way to describe the feeling. “It’s like… it’s like we’re meant to be more than strangers. You’re feeling it too, right?”
She was quiet for a while, and he started to think that she might deny his words. But then she admitted, “I feel it.”
“I don’t want to ignore it,” he said. “But neither of us is interested in dating. So why not be friends?”
“Friends?” She tested the word on her tongue as if it was new to her. After a long pause while she intently studied his face, she nodded. “I guess I can do friends.”
He held out his hand. “Shake on it?”
“Sure. Why not?” Smiling, she took his hand and shook it. “Friends it is.”
6
FRIENDS? WITH BARRY? XOLANI SCOFFED on the inside. He has to be kidding me.
She didn’t want to be friends with him. She wanted to tear his clothes off and eat him up. She wanted them to get butt naked and sweaty, not friendly. She wanted to make him lose his mind. She wanted to hear him groan her name over and over again.
From the heated way he often looked at her, it was obvious that he wanted to do nasty, nasty things to her and with her too.
Friends? What a load of crap!
If she was in full control of her faculties, she would’ve unequivocally turned him down. But Barry was sincere, convincing, and very, very attractive. In her tipsy state, everything he said made perfect, beautiful sense. He was a god, and she was his loyal, infatuated subject. She would’ve said ‘yes’ to any request he made.
But it didn’t even take getting sober for her to realize that she’d made a mistake. Immediately after they shook hands, she wanted to end the charade. But alas, promises had already been made.
She stole a glance at Barry to figure out what could’ve possibly made him throw out the proposal. But it was hard to read his expression when he was so focused on the road.
They were currently in his car, on their way to her apartment.
Because she knew she’d be drinking, Xolani had left her car at home this morning. Her plan was to share a cab with Justine because they lived in the same direction. However, Justine had abandoned her an hour ago to spend the night with her newest catch. When Barry found out Xolani was taking a cab, he’d offered to take her home.
How could she refuse such a generous offer? Especially when it came from a ‘friend’?
Just thinking that word was enough to make her roll her eyes. Friend! She snorted. Humph!
“What’s that?” Barry interrupted her thoughts.
“Huh?” She sat up straighter and looked at him.
He glanced at her. “You just made a sound like you wanted to say something.”
Had she snorted out loud? Quickly, she searched her mind for a way to explain the rude noise. All she came up with was, “It’s nothing. I just feel a little cold coming on.”
“Oh.” Concern immediately filled his expression. “Is your jacket enough? There’s an overcoat in the backseat if you need to get warmer.”
“No, no, no. I’m good.” She rubbed her nose. “It’s just a little itch in the nostrils. Nothing to be worried about.”
Still concerned, he glanced at her. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” She smiled.
Was this man trying to get her even more infatuated with him? Many men wouldn’t have even heard the sound she made. Others would’ve heard it but ignored it. Meanwhile, Barry had noticed, gotten worried, and even tried to fix it for her. She had a good, helpful man on her hands; a good, helpful man was now her friend.
Yuck!
“There’s tissue in there.” He pointed to the glove compartment. “You can grab one if you need it.”
To add credence to her fake story, she took the offered tissues. “Thank you.”
When she opened the glove compartment, tissues weren’t the only thing she found. Above them was a flyer.
“What’s this?” Xolani took the flyer out.
“That?” Barry looked away from the road for a brief moment to glance at the flyer. “That’s for a Latin food festival. It’s happening this weekend.”
“I heard about it.” She asked, “Are you going?”
“I’m thinking about it.” He smiled. “Good food, good music, colorful people. It seems like fun.”
Her heart leapt in delight because of his smile. The man was incredibly handsome. Some might even say too handsome. Smiling made him so hot that it should be illegal. Now she wondered how his face would look like when he came.
Stop it, Xo. She gave herself a mental slap. This man is your friend.
“What about you?” Barry interrupted her lustful thoughts. “You going?”
“I want to, but not alone.” She explained, “Unfortunately, Anika’s got a family thing, and Justine is afraid that she might run into one of her Latino exes.”
“Exes?” Barry’s eyebrows flew up. “How many Latinos has she dated?”
Xolani laughed. “Enough to avoid their festivals.”
“Well, damn!” After a beat, he offered, “Why don’t we go together then?”
“Together?” Her breath caught in her throat. “Like you and me?”
“Yeah, you and me.” He gave her a crooked, boyish smile. “I’m your friend too, right? We can do stuff together.”
There he went with that ‘friend’ word again. Xolani thought of declining his offer because she was definitely not ready to act like his friend. However, she’d already said that she wanted to go to the festival. She couldn’t say ‘no’ without looking like she was backing out of their agreement to be friends.
Besides, it was just a festival. She could handle that, right? There’d be so much going on around them that she wouldn’t even have time to think about jumping his bones.
She forced a smile and jovially declared, “Okay, friend. I guess we’re going to the festival together.”
His smile was just as wide as hers. “I can’t wait.”
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of the building that held her apartment. A friend would’ve said his goodbyes while in the car and waited for her to leave. But Barry leapt out of his car.
“I’ll get the door for you,” he offered as he got out. While Xolani got out of her seatbelt, he circled the car to open the car door for her.
And he called himself a friend? While he was opening doors for her like she was his date?
Maybe he’s just a gentleman? The little voice in her head offered.
Maybe he is, Xolani reluctantly agreed.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him as she got out of the car. “For the ride, and for opening my door.”
“Anytime.”
“Okay, so this is my stop.” She stood in front of him. As she did so, she was again reminded of just how tall he was. Even though she was wearing heels, he still had a couple of inches on her. “I’ll see you Saturday, right?”
“Right.” He nodded.
What was the protocol for saying goodbye to a new male friend? Was she supposed to just walk off? That was a little too curt, right? Should she shake his hand? Too formal. Or maybe…
Barry made the decision for her. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in for a hug. He gathered her tightly into his body in a way many friends would not.
“Oh!” Xolani involuntarily exclaimed at the body contact. A hug was definitely not on her list of ways to say goodbye to a new friend.
The hug was such a surprise that she stood in his embrace with her arms stiffly by the side of her body. However, she felt every millisecond of that hug. She felt how steely, strong, and muscular his arms were as they surrounded her. Her breasts swelled and her nipples stiffened in appreciation of the warm, hardness that was his chest. His groin was just brushing against her, but the sensation was enough to start an ache in her pussy. She was about to push herself closer just so she could really feel his cock when he released her.
“Goodnight,” he said.
The hug could’ve been innocent. But the heat in his eyes as he stepped away from her made it clear that she wasn’t the only one who’d been left with odd, fluttery sensations after its end. His gaze moved from her eyes and straight to her lips. This man… no, this friend was clearly thinking of kissing her.
Should she let him?
No, no, no. The sane voice in her head rushed to stop her. Remember? You can’t date him. He’s too friendly. That’s why it was so easy for him to relegate her to the friend-zone. Now, she had to wonder; how many women was he ‘friends’ with?
