Divine Encounters

Chapters 41-50

Funny. Nika hung up the phone and scolded Byron for being rude. "I told you I would only be a minute. You interrupted my conversation for no reason."

"That's not true. I had a damn good reason," he replied, sharply. "I don't like her. She's uppity and funny acting. You can talk to her when I'm not here."

"I'm aware Amaya is not one of your favorite people, but you know she's my boss, and frankly, I think – "

Byron grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He started kissing her and caressing the nape of her neck and suddenly, Nika could no longer remember what she was about to say. He released her and smiled. "The point I was trying to make, baby is that it's Sunday," he said, softly and kissed her forehead. "I know she's your boss but not on Sunday."

Nika swallowed hard. She rubbed his face with her hand and looked in his eyes. And what beautiful eyes they were: big, dreamy, coffee colored beams, capable of hypnotizing her at a glance. Byron sported a nice, medium build and was a little less than average height, but it was all good. His brown skin was smooth and his mustache and beard were always cut to perfection. Nika was crazy about him and had spent this last year and a half losing herself, to make sure he was happy. The young woman knew she let quite a bit slide when it came to her boyfriend, and at times it pricked her heart and mind, especially when he took potshots at Amaya. But it will all be worth it one day, she often rationalized. Nika's man was handsome, smart, and while his job as a restaurant manager would not make him rich, he was gainfully employed and dreamed of much bigger things. Most of his spare time was spent writing his business plan and doing research to open his own eatery.

She knew he didn't like her boss because he always had something negative to say about her, but that was just his way. Byron was extremely critical of Amaya's writing and was unyielding in his belief that her success was due to luck, not talent. No matter how much she tried to convince him her employer was a good person and a very good writer, his disdain for her was incessant. He claimed to have the ability to read people and said she was a phony. Byron's straight and to the point comments could be off-putting but he told Nika she had to get used to that if she was gonna ride with him.

"Unfortunately, in our line of work, conventional rules don't always apply," she said, making a conscious effort not to sound contentious. "We're entrepreneurs and we work all the time, but for what it's worth, we weren't talking shop. I just called to check things out because I hadn't heard from her in two days and that's unusual."

"Yeah OK, and I heard you ask about Doc Vader. So, are they a couple now?"

Nika laughed out loud as a picture of the all-black Star Wars villain popped into her mind. Too funny. "That's not nice, baby," she said, after composing herself. "But to tell the truth, I'm not sure. Every time I bring him up, she's vague or changes the subject."

"See, that's what I mean!" he said, raising his voice. "You been working for her how long? Four or five years? And she doesn't trust you?"

"If and when there's something to tell, she'll tell me," Nika said, defensively.

"Whatever," Byron retorted, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. "Well, at least now we know she prefers men because I was seriously starting to wonder about her."

"I never did," Nika remarked proudly. "I think she honestly wants to be chaste just like she says. Amaya believes the bible," she asserted, while carefully minding her tone, "and I've never seen or heard her do anything contrariwise."

Byron sneered and rolled his eyes. "Chaste my ass. I don't believe that shit for one minute," he said, staring at the television. "I saw the way her and Doc Vader were eyeballing each other that day at her house. They're probably over there knocking it down every night – just like us," he added, and cracked up.