The Business Woman

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I dragged myself out of bed. I looked out of the peephole before opening the door for Jack. His smile faded into a frightened look of desperation and worry.

"What the hell is going on, Maliyah? You look really sick.  He grabbed my arm in his. "Where'd this bruise come from? Is someone hurting you?"

I  tried to keep it together, but all of the questions were so overwhelming.  So there I was crying and making myself fragile to a man that barely knew me. At first, he seemed to be surprised, but then he quickly wrapped me in a warm embrace. 

"It's okay, whatever it is." He cooed. "I won't let anyone else hurt you."

"Can I get you some coffee or some water or..." he trailed off.

"No, it's—I need—I just need someone to talk to." I stuttered.

"Let's sit down." He suggested while shutting the door behind us and helping me take a seat.

"You broke some glass?"

"I'll explain everything." I sighed. 

"Okay, I'm listening."'

"I'm sorry about the date." I cried. "My landlord came over to collect this month's rent."

"I'm not mad at you for not coming." He said in a calm tone. "I just want to know what happened. 

His eyes grew with concernment. 

"He raped me, Jack." I cried harder, replaying the events in my head.

"Then, we need to get you to the hospital right now, and we need to get a police report." His voice grew angry.

"I can't talk to the police about this, Jack. I invited him to my home because I needed to pay him. I'd been sucking his dick in exchange for this shitty apartment." I explained. "But this time, he took things too far, and he—he forced himself onto me."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you." he comforted. "You need to move out of this building, so he can't touch you again, okay? Do you have somewhere you could go to?"

"No." I shook my head. "I don't want to intrude on my aunt and uncle. I just got this place."

"If you want, I've got a guest house that you can stay in until you can find a place of your own. You can stay there as long as you need too."

I nodded my head in agreement as he continued to talk.

Months ago, he was just my English college professor, but now he's acting as my protector.

"Why are you so quick to let me in your house?"

"I think you deserve to feel protected and not in fear of that happening to you again. I'll even help you make up your work for my class; that way, we can alleviate your stress." He suggested.

He made me feel just a little bit better compared to how I felt before. His voice seemed sincere and that he wanted to help me. I began to miss my big fluffy furball, so I called my aunt to ask if she could bring him home. She agreed, and it only took her an hour to show up.

My phone dinged just before hearing her soft knocks at the door. I peeped out of the peephole to see her holding Teddy's leash with one hand and a pan in the other.

I opened the door to reveal her sweet face and a very excited Teddy.

"Hey, thank you so much, auntie, for picking him up. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls, and you had to keep him for that long." I said while giving her a tight thank you hug.

I took the leash from her while she spoke.

"No problem, Teddy is always a good boy. I made you this pan of peach cobbler. I know you didn't get any last time."

She warmed my heart, she was always doing nice things for me, and at this very moment, I needed that peach cobbler.

"I'm so thankful for you auntie, thank you very much," I said before giving her another hug.

I turned to unclip Teddy's leash to allow him to run free inside, just before sitting the sweet-smelling pan of peach cobbler on the counter.

"Oh, Hi, Jack." She greeted. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." She smiled.

"He's just tutoring me with some English stuff." I lied while making my way back to the living room entrance.

"Well, I don't see any books." She pried.

"Auntie," I begged.

"Oh, well, I don't want to interrupt. I've gotta get home and cook dinner before your uncle gets home."

"Thank you again, auntie, I love you," I said with a small smile plastered on my face.

"You're very welcome, sugar. I love you more."

When she was gone, I closed and locked the door while Teddy ran to his pile of chew toys in the corner.

I sat back on the couch and laid my head against a throw pillow.

"Well, I guess I'll get going then. I'm glad to know that you're alive."

"Do you think you could stay over ?" I blurted out. "At least until I can move my things into your guest house?"

"So, you've made your mind up that fast about moving into my guest house?"

"You're just right is all," I said, shrugging. "I'd just feel paranoid if I stayed here."

"Okay, well, I can go pick up some boxes on my way home. I'll pack my bag and be on my way back here."

"I just really don't want to be alone," I admitted.

"Okay." He said understandably. "I guess we can grab boxes, and I can take a shower tomorrow."

"Thanks." I said before stretching my legs out onto the couch."

"Your feet are so weird." He said while eyeballing them as if they were specimens in a laboratory.

I quickly pulled them up to my chest.

"Don't hide them. It's cute." He chuckled. "They're just so fat and flat."

"I know, my mom has flat feet and fat feet. I got them from her."

A moment had passed before I decided to start up another conversation with him.

"What made you so interested in English literature?" I asked, lightening the mood.

"Well." he raised an eyebrow I fell in love in college, and I got my heartbroken by this woman named Hannah. She was brilliant, she loved to read, but I hated reading. I wanted to impress her, so one day, I asked her about her three most favorite books, and I went home and read all three of them. After reading those books, I began enjoying reading and the peaceful bliss I received from doing so. We dated, we went to book fairs, book signings, hell we even started a book club. I ended up changing my major to English. Then our senior year in college came, and she just told me straight up that she would rather be with a basketball player who was going to end up in the NBA than be with an author who had little to no future in publishing a famous book."

"Well, look at you now. You're an attractive man, with a decent career and a great personality."

"So you do like me?" He tested.

"I didn't say that."

We both laughed. It felt really good to laugh. I had been crying so much I forgot I could feel something other than sadness.

"I hope you feel better. I mean I know it'll be on your heart forever, but I hope you can move past this."

"I'm sure I will." I sighed.

"You know, you're a beautiful, strong black woman." He complimented.

"And where'd you get that line from?"

"I might be pretty damn blind with these thick ass glasses, but you have a beauty that even a blind man could see."

"You're so corny."

"I prefer the term gentleman."

"You wanna eat some cobbler?" I offered.

"Don't mind if I do."