Losing You ✔️

6. Evening Visitor

"What's going on with you, man? Seems you're in the clouds?" Shameik was having lunch with his new office 'buddies'. He figured he needed some new friends at work in order to survive in a cubicle environment.

Last night had been difficult to sleep, to say the least. He had felt bad about spilling wine on Lorie, after basically gawking at her while eating and then he went ahead and made plans with her! He hadn't meant to volunteer to wash her jumpsuit but there was something in him that had wanted to - and surprising enough it was unrelated to his guilt.

He knew it was highly unlikely for her to have picked an outfit with him in mind but it almost felt like it. He had studied every part of her body that he could see and he wanted to explore it now.

"It's nothing, man." He said. Not wanting to involve them in his troubles.

Justin, he worked in the cubicle next to Shameik's, was a typical guy's guy. Shameik had noticed him when he started cat calling a few of the ladies walking outside the office. Shameik had never had to do that, but he could see why Justin thought he did. He had no social skills outside of a male group and he certainly didn't seem to want to try to get along with women either.

With a man like Justin in the group he didn't want to air out anything.

"We missed you at the fundraiser. I heard you couldn't get a date!" Justin slapped his arm and laughed loudly. The other guys made a muffled sound of a laugh to boost the already lost confidence of Justin.

"I had other plans - and who said there wasn't a lady involved in that?" Shameik teased and smirked. He knew how to play the game too, not just with Lorie.

A guy named Tim made an 'ooh' like sound and closed in on Shameik, "Let's hear details, man! Don't leave us hanging." Tim adjusted his tie and challenged Shameik.

He had played this game before and he knew how to string them along just enough. He wasn't the 'kiss and tell' type of guy and he never had been. As a teenager he had seen his friends talk too much about the ladies they were seeing; either one of their friend's stole her or the girl herself got angry and cut ties. Not talking about it made for a better relationship with the ladies and the boys somehow thought that made him a kind.

His high school friend Andre always said; "do whatever the ladies wanna do, then you'll be happy by default."

"Just someone I'm trying out for size, we'll see if she sticks around." He said vaguely and threw the plastic container, previously filled with leftovers from last night.

Speaking of last night--

"Sorry guys, I need to head out before it's back to work again." Shameik excused himself.

"Hey, we're still on for this weekend, right? I got tickets to Public Enemy's performance at Venice." Justin waved a ticket around and Shameik gratefully grabbed one.

They had been nice enough to include him and he didn't want to disappoint. He had asked for an extra ticket for Jamal, too. He was not about to go to Public Enemy with a gang full of white Jason Mraz look-a-likes - at least not by himself.

He had turned Lorie's jumpsuit in first thing this morning. He had nearly banged on the door to get in faster and declared his situation.

"I need it today!" He had pleaded with the tiny Hungarian woman behind the counter.

"For your lady?" She pointed at the jumpsuit with a curious smile. Shameik had intended to say no but whatever made him sympatize with him, to reassure he got it done today, he was going to agree to.