Race Relations

British Jealousy

“He didn’t come” Leila said to Thomas as she picked up her purse to head home. It had truly been a long day’s work. He hadn’t even called her to explain himself, Leila thought to herself, not one call. Hell, not one text. She hadn’t told Thomas, but she was hurt.

“Look, I wouldn’t sweat it, you guys live in the same building. He’ll probably come over tonight”

“Thomas! Don’t,” she stopped her friend, because of him, she had kept her hopes up about him and look…the workday was over and nothing. She wouldn’t listen. If he wanted to see her, he knew the apartment was, if he didn’t; well…. That was his fucking lost.

                        Nathaniel reached home late that night. He had stayed in his office until eleven, but he didn’t want to face her. So when he finally reached his condo, he took in a deep breath, relieved that he not bumped into her. Maybe he should go live with Mike for a while. It would be better he pondered as he flopped onto his bed, tired and miserable.

                                       _____________________________

          It had been two weeks since Leila had seen Nathaniel, but yet he had been controlling her thiughts. whatever she did, he was there. Like a eclipse cast over the sun.

  “Whoa missy, where are you going?”  Melina asked Leila as she walked in to her work. At her magazine,. she didn’t have to be sporting business suits all the time. Plus, the company encouraged its employees to dress in a non-formal way as long as they remain chick and respectable. After all it is a magazine.

            So today, she decided on a semi short tight fitted, cream colored high wasted skirt, pairing it with a cotton fitted ruffled white shirt, that she had left the last button at the top undone, letting a little to show, but enough to not make the outfit appear overdone.  Her six-inch short red booties added to the look, adding inches to her beautiful long legs. And her neck, she adorned with a tree-layered black necklace.

“Thanks, I just thought I’d dressed like where I worked for a change,” she answered, but even she knew that was a lie. She had a meeting today. For the ad she was in charge of, with none other than Nathaniel Harrington.

            She didn’t want to scold him for what happened yesterday, but she wasn’t about to in there with a disappointing look either. It was his lost, not hers. No matter how much it felt like she was loosing also. “Well, I have got to go. I have a meeting. I’ll see you later Melina.”

            Nathaniel sat on his computer typing away, but still his head still floated around Leila; about their kiss and her sweet mouth. It had been two weeks since he had seen her, and since then, he'd been a complete mess. Never in his life had a woman moved him to his core in such depth and honestly; it scared him senseless. God! He wanted to be with her. But he would only hurt her in the end and that was the truth. So, he told himself to stop, but truth was, he couldn’t.  He damn near ran to her apartment this morning, wanting to make love to her. To say sorry that he had stood her up but he stopped himself. His office phone rang taking him out of his trance. “Yes” he answered.

“Your ten ‘o’clock is her sir” she Sasha said but it never registered to him who it could be. Only wanting the get everything out of the way.

“Ok, let them pass” he told her and hung up and continued to work on his computer.  A few seconds later, a knock appeared at his door. Fixing his shirt, he got up and walked to the door, and then opened it. The person that stood before him, left him speechless, breathless and absolutely reminded him of who his ten ‘o’clock was suppose to be.