“Exactly.” Kalilah agreed. “So, I don’t have a response to that. Then, you assumed the first apology wasn’t going well. I don’t know how you came to that conclusion. I was going to accept it.”
“Really?” Nick asked slowly.
“Yes. I was just trying to decide if I should invite you to dinner or drinks so we could get to know each other or something. Then you hooked me up with your dad. For you feeling left out, I don’t really have much in common with the other VPs either.”
Kalilah sighed before continuing.
“I’m practically the only woman since your sister is so far away. And, I’m one of the youngest, but the highest ranking; that did not go over well in the beginning. Plus, we are just now meeting because it seemed like every time I tried to go anywhere near you, you went the opposite direction. In the last twenty-four hours, I’ve talked to you more outside of work than anyone on the executive floor, and that’s including your dad.”
Nick was silent on the other end of the phone. She didn’t know if he was mad, digesting her words, or sleep. Finally, she heard Nick exhale like he was holding his breath.
“You’re right. I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I am usually not a mean person….”
Kalilah smiled in the dark. “Lucky for you, I can see that. Or, I would still be really mad. A mean person would have pushed that red-head.”
Nick laughed. “Oh man Kalilah, that was crazy and awful. I had to brush my teeth when I got home. Who gets drunk that early?”
“Oh, Nick. You don’t get it. She was attracted to you. She may have had a drink or two, but she was sober enough to know exactly what she was doing.”
“Oh, damn. I never considered that. Well I’m not calling “Marley, The Kissing Bandit”. She’s cute, but not my type anyway.”
He remembered her name? Kalilah felt a flash of jealousy wash over her. It was ridiculous to be annoyed. Although, she couldn’t help wondering if she was his type. Pride kept her from asking him, instead she opted to tell him goodnight.
“Okay, Nick. I’m tired. It’s time for some sleep.”
“Okay. Sweet dreams.”
She hoped he would be in them. “Thank you. You, too.” She was about
to hang up when she heard him call her name.
“Kalilah?”
“Yes?”
Nick hesitated before talking again. “Is it settled? Are we okay?”
“Yes. We’re okay as long as you work on your filter.”
“Promise.”
Kalilah hung up with a smile on her face. Yup. She had a crush, and she hoped his previous insults were the equivalent of him pulling her pigtails. She drifted off to sleep with the image of soft gray eyes floating in her head.
The next week flew by faster than any other week in Nick’s life. Kalilah’s car was still with the mechanic, so they’d fallen into a carpool routine. They would talk the whole way to work, and as if by some unspoken agreement, they would go their separate ways at work. She’d leave him in his vehicle for his usual morning conference call with his siblings.
Their work routine was pretty much as it was the last two years they’d worked with each other; their paths never crossed. He was submerged in his work and Kalilah was always in one meeting or the other. At the end of the day they would talk on the way to her house but never made dinner plans. Their conversations were light and never got too deep or personal.
Nick learned that her rise to the top was a combination of hard work, good timing, and a little luck. She was originally hired to work under the VP of Marketing, but he made her do all his work. When he quit, Andrew couldn’t help but notice that the Marketing department continued to run smoothly. In turn, he decided to give her the position.
Part of her job was to work closely with the Documentation VP, but she went on maternity leave and never returned, leaving Kalilah in charge of both departments. The position was posted, but his dad had yet to find a worthy replacement. In turn, he gave her the temporary promotion overseeing all the departments to see how things went. Kalilah technically had three titles since she was running two departments.
He knew she was amazing. Hearing her story had him thoroughly impressed. He also found out that for her night job she dressed as a different fantasy every Saturday night just to gauge the customers’ responses. She said it was good material for her erotic short stories. She’d never asked him about the DVDs or if he’d watched them, and he never volunteered. He loved her dry sense of humor, she was easygoing and that worked for him. Nick was enjoying his time with Kalilah. He wanted, no, needed more.
Nick found himself lounging in his office on a Friday. It was almost lunch time, but he was thinking about his brother. Dex wanted the world to believe he was an entitled womanizer living off his trust fund, but he wasn’t.
Yes, he did have a revolving door of women, but he was smart and worked hard, just not towards their dad’s vision. Every now and then, Dex would remind them that he cares about their lives. Nick was able to have a serious conversation with him a couple of days ago. He was happy because those conversations were rare.
Kalilah had just gotten out of the car when his cell rung.