Free Corporate Seduction by A.C. Arthur

“Hello?”
    “Hello, Reka. I was just thinking about you and wondering if you were getting ready for our date.”
    We don’t have a date , her mind screamed. But to do so verbally would most certainly amuse the two instigators in the room, who no doubt had their ears perked up. How was she going to convince them that Khalil was just a friend if he insisted on this so-called date? She gripped the phone tightly. “I just got out of the tub, and I’m trying to take a nap. Tacoma and I were out all morning.”
    Khalil tried not to feel the slight edge of jealousy—she’d spent all morning with Tacoma, while he’d spent all morning thinking of her. “Well, I said seven, and you have another hour, so go ahead and lie down for a bit.” He paused, trying like hell not to say he was on his way. “But I’ll be there promptly at seven.” He knew she’d try to give him another excuse, so he hung up before she had a chance.
    Setting the phone down in its cradle, he figured that was two things he’d catch hell for tonight. Closing his eyes, he let the sound of her voice replay in his mind. It wasn’t so much what she said as the way she said it, with determination and attitude. He smiled. Man, he really liked her style. Her candor and her stubborness. Well, he could forego the stubborn streak, but then that would be changing a part of her. And there was nothing about Reka that he felt needed changing.
    He took that back. Her ideas about men needed changing, and he was just the man to make that happen.
    * * *
    Reka slammed the phone down. He had a lot of nerve telling her what she was going to do and how long she had to do it. She was about to release a few choice expletives when she turned and bumped right into Grammy.
    “Was that him? Was that Mr. Handsome?”
    Reka rolled her eyes. Her choices for this Saturday evening were to stay in this apartment with the two love connectors picking at her to find out about her relationship with a man she didn’t have a relationship with, or go to dinner with a man she wasn’t quite sure she could trust.
    “Hmph, he must be a doozy if he’s got you all worked up with a simple phone call,” Janell added, standing to touch Reka’s cheek. “Look, Grammy, she’s blushing.”
    “I am not!” Reka pulled away from them, going to the side of the bed to pick up the bags from today’s shopping spree as a diversion. “I told you he was just a co-worker.”
    “Mm-hmm.” Janell folded her arms over her chest and continued to stare.
    Reka dumped the contents of the bags onto the bed and gasped when the silky black material slid out. With two fingers, as if it were a piece of burning wood, she lifted the dress.
    “Hot damn! Old co-worker’s gonna score tonight!” Janell whooped.
    “I know that’s right,” Grammy added with her own denture-filled grin.
    Reka groaned again. “I’m going to kill Tacoma!”

5
    At seven o’clock on the dot, Khalil raised his hand and knocked on Reka’s door. Within seconds it swung open, and a slim, hippy woman smiled up at him from the other side.
    “You must be the co-worker, Mr. Handsome.”
    She extended her hand, lifting it palm downward to signal him to kiss it. Khalil chuckled a bit to himself, took the offered hand and performed the desired deed. “I’m Khalil Franklin. And you are?”
    Amazed and impressed, Janell lowered her hand slowly to her side. “I’m Janell Boyd, Reka’s mother.”
    Damn, Khalil thought to himself, if all mothers looked like this, young boys would have a hell of a time deciding which woman to date. Luckily for him, his interest had already been piqued and, even though Janell had a pretty tight body and didn’t look a day over thirty-five with her stylish hair and impeccably made-up face, there was only one woman for him.
    Entering the familiar living room he spotted Grammy and went to the sofa to give her a hug. “Hi, Grammy. It’s good to see you again.” He liked the older woman, but wondered why she