𝐀 L͟e͟s͟s͟o͟n͟ 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

Fourteen

Total Wellness was still and vacant when the taxi bringing Tiana parked at the front entrance. It was minutes to nine and the high of the champagne had long since worn off. The melancholy feeling of going up to an empty apartment placed her in a dismal and foul mood.

Her overactive mind and love-sick heart had robbed her of rest. She knew she needed to get a few hours more sleep before she went into the office and had to deal with Tyra's interview and her pending job.

Shit if she could turn back time she would be making crazy love to Kessa right now. There would be no misplaced and delayed shipment or extensions on deadlines, and definitely no rescheduling of meetings with prospective retailers who were waiting like hungry wolves to get their hands on her new Sports Wear.

All there would be was her face buried in the sweet delicious buff of her girl as her cries of pleasure permeated the air.

After the driver dropped her carryall by the entrance the door was promptly opened by the night security guard who greeted her and courteously pulled her carryall to the elevator that would take her upstairs.

Tiana waved him her thanks not saying a word and headed quickly toward the elevator before pulling out her card and pressing it to the spot above the elevator call button. The doors opened almost immediately and Tiana stepped inside with the doors closing quickly behind her whisking her up to her home.

"Home Sweet Home," she mumbled when the elevator doors opened and she walked to her suit's door.

As soon as she was inside she headed directly to her room leaving her carryall by the door. She took the stairs two at a time stripping out of her clothes as she did so walked into her bedroom.

Tiana clad only in a matching bra and panty set flopped onto her comfortable bed and took her phone from the cup of her bra her phone and pulled up Kessa's number.

The phone began to ring. Tiana wanted to hear her voice so badly as the night they shared flooded her senses.  When the ringing stopped and it went again to Kessa's voicemail she cursed under her breath and with a fluid movement in her irritation tossed her phone onto the bedside table and turned over closing her eyes.

The following morning.

Tiana's internal alarm clock woke her several hours later. Tiana sit up in bed rubbing her eyes before stretching and slowly getting up out of bed before looking at the clock and seeing it was 8:55 a.m.

She was surprised that despite her mental turmoil she slept at all. At least one good thing came out of the stress that was the past three days, she got to sleep.

Tiana reached for the phone on the bedside and made a quick call she was starving. "Simon darling," she said as the familiar voice filled the line, "send me up a cup of your expresso and some pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs. Yes…sure that would be great."

She found herself looking forward to tackling the day. She was Tiana Persephone West. A strong black woman who rose against the odds and made a fucking juicy glass of lemonade out of the lemons life flung at her. She was a SURVIVOR.

She was not going to let yesterday lapse into despondency robbed her of the woman she has become. What did P!NK say…? Yes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! She was stronger alright, stronger than the doubts, the mummy issues, and the thought of losing Kessa.

They were the ones who needed her and June West her mother dearest call yesterday proved that. She was Independence and Valour, not the weakling that surfaced every time life brought a challenge.

When she returned from the shower a few minutes later her wet hair dangling to her shoulders and down her back clad in a white terry cloth robe loosely belted she heard the chime of her doorbell.

Breakfast was here. 

Pancake, bacon, and egg.

6 rashers of bacon, allowing 3 per stack, cooked until good and crispy
1 sunny-side-up fried eggs, to top bacon stack
Good-quality maple syrup
A pinch of dried red chili flakes to sprinkle on the egg

Espresso (ess-PRESS-oh) 

A full-flavored, concentrated form of coffee. It is made by forcing pressurized hot water through very finely ground coffee beans using an espresso machine. The liquid is stronger than coffee and topped with a “crema,” a brown foam that forms when air bubbles combine with the soluble oils of fine-ground coffee and sits on top of a properly pulled shot of espresso. The crema adds to the rich flavor and a lingering aftertaste of espresso.

When breakfast was over and the dirty dishes were stacked into the automated dishwasher with the timer set she return upstairs to get dressed.

The result was her clad in a pair of white leggings that said Total down one leg and Wellness down the other in baby pink lettering. The form-fitting material kissed her thick firm thighs and round ass and the waistband rested just inches below her belly button.

A matching white sports bra that had Total Wellness stitched on the upper left corner with her name written in calligraphy in matching pink lettering was topped with a pink double-breasted blazer with gold oversize buttons and a pair of pink and white marble designed pointed-toe stiletto heels accessorized with gold and diamond studded jewelry ended her Athleisure assembly. 

Her thick black hair now partially dried was brushed smooth in a high untidy bun with neat edges laid to perfection with little wisps of curls falling to curl about her ears

With her face naturally made up and lips sporting nude lipgloss and her expressive whiskey brown eyes accentuated with smokey eyeshadow and a thin Cleopatra swoop she smiled loving the picture of sporty elegance she presented.

Tiana quickly grabbed her phone and headed downstairs. She had a few things to do before the mystery of Tyra was to be solved. She had to admit she was intrigued and curious as to why her mother was setting out to pave the way for someone who represented something she thoroughly despised.

She was locking her door to make her way to the elevator when her phone buzzed. The desperate love-sick part of her thinking it was a message from Kessa quickly unlocked her phone and a feeling of disappointment rushed through her when she saw it was a message from her mother.

June was informing her that Tyra would be there promptly at 11 a.m. for the interview. She was surprised to see that she expressed appreciation for her helping Tyra. She smirked when she saw the message ended with p.s BE NICE. Translation: Give me what I want.

Tiana saw that it was  9:25 a.m. giving her ample time to get a few business out of the way but knowing her mother this girl Tyra would probably arrive long before 11 and June was not afraid to ensure she drop everything and do the interview. Best get the ball rolling before the day's events get out of hand. 

When she got to her office she made her way to her chair and instantly buzzed her secretary to hold all calls and message each of her staff with the upcoming itinerary for the weekend. She went through all the progress reports on new and short-term clients after which she scheduled a weekend servicing of a few machines that were reported to need maintenance.

When she got to checking if the arrival of the shipments were in store and ready to be rocked she realize it was minutes to eleven she was pleased when it was confirmed that they were. 

She was going over her ideas for the display windows of the stores with her senoir store clerk when her secretary informed her that Ms. Tyra Townsend was here for her interview.

"Elise I have to go, please relay the necessary info to Dakota and ensure Terrence works on the project he has an eye for the creativity that I want to bring out. No expense spared."

Why was her heart pounding?

Tiana took a deep breath and informed for Tyra to be sent in. She was thinking if only Kessa was around this fiasco would seem less overwhelming when Tyra walked into the office.

She was not what she was expecting.