The Color Of Love 2q3w4w

Color of Love

Rebecca Jackson-Towers

Copyright © 2012 by Rebecca Jackson-Towers.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012918130

ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4797-2469-7

Softcover 978-1-4797-2468-0

Ebook 978-1-4797-2470-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Acknowledgements

First I want to thank God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He is about to do. Next, I want to thank my husband and Kaleb for giving me the time to be able to write the book. Thirdly, I would like to thank my niece Kelyse Wilson and Matthew Hotz for allowing me to put them on the cover of my book and Yuri Chambers for taking the time to do the photo shot of them. I love you guys and thanks for all that you have done for me.

CHAPTER 1

“H ey, Mitch, are we on for this party tonight?” Clint said. “Yeah, I hope the females at this party look better than the ones at the other party we’ve gone to,” Mitch said. “There will be a lot of people there since it’s the first spring party of the year. I came last year, and I had so much fun. People were everywhere. I did some networking and met a lot of businesswomen.” “Well, I guess what better way to possibly meet the next Mrs. Harris,” Mitch said, laughing. “You might be right. You just never know who and when you’ll meet that special one. It’s about time you start looking for her though.” “We’ll see what the night will bring,” Mitch said. “Well, I’ll let you get back to work, Mitch, and will hook back up later tonight.” “All right, later, Clint.” Mitch couldn’t wait for his day to be over since he has several things to get done before going out tonight. “I have to stop and get my haircut, pick up some hair gel, and wash the car.” When the phone beeped, it interrupted his thoughts. His secretary, Kim, came on the line. “Mr. Harris, Mr. Matthews is on line 1.” “Thanks, Kim. Hello, Mr. Matthews, how are you doing on this nice spring afternoon?” “I’m fine, Mitch. I was wondering if you can do a presentation for our company in two weeks about your new computer system which we will be getting in a month.” “Let me check my calendar to see if that week is open. What day are you

wanting me to come out there?” “It will be on that Wednesday.” “Okay, sounds good to me. I will get my secretary, Kim, to set the time up with you.” “I really appreciate it, Mitch. Have a nice day.” “You too, and I’m looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks. I’m going to send you back to Kim.” Mitch put Mr. Matthews on hold. “Kim.” “Yes, Mr. Harris.” “Set up a time for me to do a presentation for Mr. Matthews. He’s still on line 1.” “I’ll get right on it.” “Thanks.” Everybody left the office early since it was Friday. Mitch changed into some gym shorts and a Nike shirt in his office bathroom, because he didn’t want to get his suit dirty since he had a couple of errands to run. The first thing he did was to get his haircut. When he walked in, all eyes were on him as he strolled over to the receptionist desk. “Hi, can I help you?” said the receptionist. “I’m here to see Lisa.” “You can go on back. She’s waiting on you.” Once he walked away, the women that were sitting in the front, both black and white, started talking about how fine he was. “Hey, Mitch, how are you doing today?” Lisa asked. “I’m doing fine, and you?” “What are we going to do today?” Lisa asked as she put the cape around him.

“Just cut the sides down, take a little off the top, and line me up,” he said, showing her in the mirror. “Okay, so are you going out tonight?” “Yes, I’m going out with a friend of mine. You know Chevy’s throwing their first spring party.” “I’ve heard of it, but never been,” she said while still cutting his hair. “I’ve been a couple of times last year.” “Ta da!” She turned him in the mirror so he could inspect his haircut. “Perfect like every time. I need some gel too.” “Okay, I’ll meet you at the front desk.” He paid Lisa for everything and told her to keep the change. “Have fun tonight, Mitch, and don’t do anything that I would do.” “I guess you want me to stay at home and do nothing then,” he said, laughing. “It may be safer for you to do that than to do the things I do. But have fun and be careful,” Lisa said. Lisa is a twenty-three-year-old that’s been cutting Mitch’s hair since she’s been out of cosmetology school. She is a size 3 with blonde highlights in her hair that hangs below her shoulders. She wears makeup every day and thick mascara and eyeliner to enhance her big blue eyes. “Thanks, Lisa. I will.” Once he left, all the ladies that were in the front gathered around Lisa to ask questions about him. “Where do you know him from, and how can I get to know him?” a lady said. “What does he do?” asked another lady. While another one said, “Can you introduce me to him?”

Before anyone else could get another word out, Lisa put up her hands and said, “To answer all of your questions, I’ve been doing his hair for about three years, and we are really good friends. I guess more like brother and sister. He works for a computer company, and he is single.” “Hold up, you still didn’t answer my question. Can you introduce us?” “No, if you haven’t caught his eye, then, honey, there is no chance.”

CHAPTER 2

While Mitch was waiting for an empty wash bay, Clint called. Clint graduated a year before Mitch did and started working at the computer company first. When Mitch ed the team, he and Clint hit it off immediately, and they have been friends ever since. Clint is five feet nine inches, with short sandy blond hair, gray eyes, and a stocky build. “Hello.” “What’s up, man?” “Sitting here in this long line waiting to wash this car.” Mitch had a 2012 BMW 5-Series that was fully loaded. “So what time are you going to come by and pick me up?” “What time does the party start?” “I think about nine. There’s going to be some food and drinks there.” “Do you know exactly where the place is?” Mitch said. “Yeah, they said it is on Hillcrest Drive down from Tillman Road.” “All right, make sure. I know you, you say you always know where the party is, but once we find them, they’re almost over.” “I know, man, but I definitely know where this one is, because Sandra is going to be there.” “I thought you guys broke up.” “We did, but we’ve started dating again. You know once you find someone and the chemistry is right, you don’t want to let go of that person, even though you have your ups and downs.”

“Yeah, man, I know. I’ll find that person soon. Shoot, I spend more time and money on this car than I do anything else,” he said, laughing. “Well, I’ll see if Sandra has any friends that are decent and available.” “No, that’s all right. You know I like to pick my own woman. I’m too picky, and my standards are high.” “You need to stop being so picky and just get someone.” “Listen, it’s my turn to wash this car, so I’ll be by to pick you up about ten thirty. And with me being picky, watch and see if I don’t find the one God has for me. Then we’ll see who’s talking then. Later, man.” Mitch hung up and drove his BMW into the wash bay while listening to some nice jazz. He had washed his car so good it would shine for the next two weeks. He was hot and sweating all over by the time he was finished and couldn’t wait to get home. He lives in a wealthy subdivision on the outskirts of the city. He pulled into his driveway and parked the car in his three-car garage. He has a two-level, four-bedroom, and three and a half bath home. He had an interior decorator come in and decorate the house in red, black, and gray which brought out the masculinity in him. He turned one of the bedrooms into an office. He knew this house would be big enough whenever he gets married and starts a family. As soon as he walked in, the phone was ringing, but he didn’t get it in time, so the answering machine picked it up. “Hey, this is Mitch. Sorry I’m not in to get your call, but you know what to do.” “Mitch, this is Tammy. I was calling to see what you were doing tonight. If you are not doing anything, give me a call. If you don’t have my number still, it’s 523-7856. Call me, bye.” “I wish she would stop calling. I told her once I wasn’t interested. I’m glad the machine got it.” He walked down the hallway after putting his briefcase in his office. Then he walked into his bedroom, which had a black-and-white leopard comforter with

big pillows on his king-size bed that matched his black bedroom set. As he walked into his closet, he had suits lined up on one wall and casual clothes on the other. He got his clothes which he planned on wearing and threw them on the bed along with his briefs. His stomach started to growl, so he went to fix himself something to eat in his massive stainless steel kitchen. After he finished, he cleaned the kitchen back up and was ready to take his shower. He walked back to his bedroom and took off his clothes. He had coppertone skin and had a chest that was cut and defined perfectly. His arms had enough muscles to know that he didn’t miss working out. His legs were toned, and his butt was just the right size. He could win Levi’s Man of the Year if there was ever a contest. After he took his shower, he shaved his face which made his face look smooth. As he was putting on his Polo jeans and shirt, he knew he was looking good. He called Clint. “Hey, man, I’m on my way.” “All right, I’m ready.” Mitch put on some Acqua Di Gio cologne and was out the door. He pulled up to Clint’s apartment and walked to his door and knocked. Clint opened the door wearing some khaki pants and a button-down shirt. “What’s up, man?” Mitch said. “Don’t you look suave? You should be on the cover of a GQ magazine,” Clint said. Mitch struck a pose like one of the models would have done, and they both started laughing. “Let’s go so we won’t be late.” While they were driving, they had some house music on. “Which way, right or left?” “Make a left, because Tillman is at the right. What does the GPS say?” “You didn’t give me the address to put in.” They kept driving and saw a lot of cars lined up and down the street, so they

knew this was the right place. “Man, I told you everybody was going to be here,” Clint said. The party was in full swing by the time they arrived. Mitch found a parking spot, and they got out and walked up to the building that had people everywhere. They saw a couple of people they knew while they were walking up to the building. Inside, people were talking, eating, and drinking. Some people were dancing by the pool to the music which you heard everywhere. A waitress ed with some cocktails on a tray. “Would you like something to drink?” “Sure, thanks.” “Man, I’m gonna go find Sandra and let her know I’m here.” “Okay.” When Clint went to find Sandra, Mitch went to check out the ladies. He saw short ones, tall ones, ugly ones, pretty ones; but no one really caught his eye. He stepped back inside and found Clint talking to Sandra. Sandra was an attractive lady. She was five feet five inches, a little top-heavy with a small waist and short spiky blonde hair, with ice-cold gray eyes and a pale complexion. “Hey, Sandra.” “Hi, Mitch, how are you?” “I’m good, and you?” “Wonderful, now that my man is here,” she said while holding on to Clint’s arm. “Oh, I would like you to meet Stacy.” She turned Stacy around, who was getting some food off a tray behind them. “Stacy, this is Mitch, Clint’s friend.” Stacy stretched out her hand that didn’t have anything in it to Mitch. “Nice to meet you, Mitch.”

“Same here.” “Enjoying yourself?” Stacy said. “Yeah, there are a lot of people here.” She is very attractive, Mitch thought. Nice slim body, long legs, pretty eyes, but there is something about her that isn’t right. They talked a little, but the whole conversation was about him—how much money he made, what kind of car he drove, and where he worked. She’s nothing but a gold digger. I know she’s not the one, he thought. He managed to ease away from her when his favorite song came on, so he had to ask someone to dance. There were a couple of girls standing along the wall, and he stepped up to the cutest one. “Would you like to dance?” “Sure.” As he led her to the floor, he could smell her perfume which smelled like Alfred Sung, one of his favorite perfumes for women. They danced a couple of songs and then found a table to sit and talk at. “I like the way you dance. I wish I had a little more rhythm,” she said with a giggle. “Thank you. You’re not that bad of a dancer. So how old are you?” Mitch asked. “I’m twenty-six, and you?” “Thirty.” “So do you come here often?” “No, I came a couple of times last year,” Mitch said. “Yeah, I come at least once every two weeks when I’m not out of town. I would be here more often, because I like to dance. But my job has me out of town about two weeks out of the month.”

“Oh really, so what is it that you do?” Mitch asked. “I’m in sales.” As he was getting ready to ask another question, Clint came up and whispered something in his ear and walked away. Mitch and the female talked for the next thirty minutes, then Mitch had to go. “I’m getting ready to go, but I would like to call you sometime if that’s okay with you.” “Sure, you have something to write on?” “No, we’ve talked so much; I’m sorry I never got your name.” “Tiffany, but everyone calls me Tiff, and yours?” “Mine is Mitch.” “Can you this number, Mitch?” She told him the number. “All right, I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon.” “Okay, have a nice night.” As soon as they got to the car, Mitch wrote down the number he thought she had given him. “I met someone that might be pretty cool to hang out with and maybe get to know a little better.” “Good for you. Man, I’m so tired, but I had fun. Sandra and I danced so much my legs hurt. So when are you going to call her?” “Tomorrow around noon,” Mitch said. Mitch dropped Clint off, and he headed straight home. When he got inside, he took another shower and jumped his six-feet-four-inch frame in the bed and was fast asleep.

CHAPTER 3

Mitch woke up bright and early that morning and went for a jog around his neighborhood. When he got back home, he took a long hot shower. The water beaded up on his masculine body. When he was finished, he got out and wiped his hand across the mirror so he could see his reflection in it. “I guess I’ll go call Tiffany and then get dressed.” He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist and walked into the bedroom where he had put the number at. He said a little prayer before he picked up the phone. “Lord, if this is the girl for me, let me get to know her as a friend first. Give me a sign to let me know that she is the one for me.” He picked the phone up and dialed the number. It rung three times, and finally a soft sexy voice came across the line. “Hello.” It caught him off guard, so he hesitated a second. The feminine voice said “hello” again. He got his voice back and said, “Hello. Is Tiffany there?” “I’m sorry, but there is no one here by that name. You have the wrong number.” “Okay, sorry about that.” “That’s all right; have a nice day, and I hope you find her.” As she hung up, she thought he sounded very attractive over the phone. I wonder how he looks in person. Mitch was thinking, Wow, she had the sexiest voice I have ever heard. Too bad Tiffany’s voice didn’t sound like that. If it had, he sure would have ed something that sounded like music to his ears. “Well, I hope I didn’t write the number down wrong. I’ll try it one more time.”

He picked the phone back up and dialed the number again. After the second ring, the same sexy voice came back on the line. “Hello.” “Oh, don’t tell me I dialed the wrong number again.” “Okay, I won’t tell you.” She had a little laugh behind it, which made Mitch also laugh. “Is this 529-7453?” “Yes, it is.” “Well, I must have written the number down wrong or something.” “Yeah, you must have. Are you trying to reach your girlfriend?” “No, I went to a party last night and met someone there, and she gave me her number, but I wrote the wrong number down.” “Well, I wish I could help you, um, Mr.—” He interrupted her and said, “My name is Mitch.” “What did you say?” “My name is Mitch.” “Oh, Mitch, mine’s Colby.” “That’s a pretty name that sounds perfect for the voice.” “Okay, don’t try to give me some line, Mitch.” “That wasn’t a line. I was just telling the truth. You have a really sexy voice, and the name matches perfectly, that’s all.” “Well, you don’t sound that bad yourself.” “Thanks.”

“Well, I have to go. My friend will be here so we can go work out.” “That wouldn’t be a guy friend, would it?” “My goodness, jealous already, and we haven’t even been out on a date.” He had to laugh at that. “I was just wondering.” “I would love to stay and talk, but she will be here any minute. Sorry.” “Well, could I call you back sometime?” “Sure. I don’t mind if you do. Poor Tiffany, she will be very upset that you didn’t call.” “Everything happens for a reason. There are no incidents or accidents,” Mitch said. “You’re so right.” “Have fun and don’t work out too hard.” “I’ll try not to. Have a nice day and until next time.” Colby got up to hang up the phone when there was a knock at the door. “I’m coming, Logan,” Colby yelled. She opened the door, and Logan walked in with her exercise outfit on. “Well, look at you, girl; looks like the gym is doing you some good.” “Really, you can really see a difference in my clothes?” Logan said, all excited. “Yes, I need to watch out before you catch up to my size.” They both fell out laughing. “You would not believe I had the strangest call a minute ago. This guy called, named Mitch, called asking for a girl named Tiffany. I guess he thought he had called her, but when I answered the phone, he was telling me how sexy my voice was and my name fit my voice so well. He was flirting big time. He’s supposed to call me again.” “So you tell me, some dude called you and asked for another woman, and since she wasn’t available he started flirting with you, and you went along with it,”

Logan said, shaking her head. “Well, no. I didn’t just go along with it. I mean he sounded really cute.” “And.” “And I was waiting on you. So to the time, I went ahead and talked to him.” “Whatever!” “But you know what’s strange? The guy sounded white.” “So would you talk to a white guy?” “If he is fine and treats me like the queen that I am and respects me, yes, I would. It’s not the color of the skin. It’s how they treat you.” “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But he would have to be rich, have a nice ride, and a nice big house before I’d leave my brothers. Oh, the most important thing, he has got to be fine.” “Girl, you are crazy. Let’s go.” They got in Logan’s Infinite and went to the spa. When they walked in, everybody stared at them. They are both very attractive young black women. Colby is about five feet seven inches, evenly proportioned everywhere, weighing about 140 lbs, caramel color complexion, light brown eyes, and pretty white teeth with a knockout smile. She wears her hair in a diagonal forward bob that has a lot of body and bounce. She wore a purple Armor shirt and black Armor shorts. Logan who is five feet six inches, around 160 lbs, light-skinned with penetrating black eyes, with a pretty wide smile and long thick hair that has light brown highlights. She carries her weight very well for her size. They both smiled and went to the machines they would work on. Guys kept coming up and asking if they needed any help. They got more numbers than any one person gets in a month. They stayed at the spa for an hour and a half. They were both sweating and tired by the time they got home. “Are we going out this weekend?” Colby asked.

“We could if you don’t have a date by then.” “Girl, please, those men talk to anyone that looks like a woman.” “Yeah, there were some fine brothers there though. I want my man to be about his business and my father’s business. You know I’m all about my business. I’ll see you at work on Monday,” Colby said. “Okay, be careful. Hey, if you’re not doing anything call me later.” “All right, see you later, Logan.”

CHAPTER 4

When Colby entered her house, she had two messages. One was a hang up, but the other was Greg, her ex-boyfriend. “Colby, call me later. I want to talk to you, peace.” “Yeah, right, he is old news.” She ran some hot water and put some bath oil in it so she could relax her overworked muscles. She laid some clothes out for later. A pair of shorts and a nice shirt just in case she did decide to go out. She got in the tub and was very relaxed when the phone rang. “Hello.” “Hey, sweet thang.” “Greg, what is it?” “A brother can’t call to see how you’re doing without you biting my head off.” “No, because you always have something up your sleeves.” “Come on now, give me a chance. I said I was sorry five hundred times already.” “And I forgave you all five hundred times, but I can’t erase the memories.” “I thought you said you forgave me though.” “I did, but that does not mean I have to stay in that situation. It was time for me to move on, so I did. You need too as well.” “We can still be friends, can’t we?” Greg said. “Yeah, from a distance; if I see you out, I’ll speak, and I hope you’ll do the same thing.”

“Girl, you’re trippin’. I’ll talk to you later.” “Bye. Boy, he got some nerve after I caught him at the movies with another woman. Lord, please send me a good, loving man.” She stayed in the tub so long her fingers looked like prunes when she got out. Logan called after Colby got out of the tub and wanted her to go to the mall and run some errands with her. So she got dressed and ate a fruit salad before Logan got there.

Mitch and Clint went to the mall to look at some new running shoes. “Man, these shoes are nice,” Mitch said. “Did you see that price on them? They’re a little too much for me,” Clint said. “I’ll probably get them later on when the weather gets a little warmer.” They walked out of Footlocker and started walking toward the door, but they stopped at another store. It was crowded since everyone’s trying to find some new clothes for the spring and summer time.

Colby and Logan were out and about as well. “Colby, let’s stop by the mall first. I’ve seen this sharp outfit I want you to see. I can’t decide if I should get it or not.” “That sounds good to me since I’m at your mercy.” “To the mall it is then.”

After the guys left the store, they went to the food court to get something to eat. They were scoping out all the ladies that walked . Mitch had told Clint about meeting Colby over the phone. They continued to watch people until they

finished eating. They were on their way out the mall when Mitch bumped into someone. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mitch said. “That’s all right; I should’ve been watching where I was going,” Colby said. They both turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. “Man, Colby, he almost knocked you down.” “Well, I ran into him,” said Colby. “Mitch, she wasn’t a bad-looking lady,” Clint said. “Yeah, man, I know, and that voice was something else too.” Mitch thought the voice kind of sounded familiar. Logan and Colby left the mall with the outfit Logan saw.

CHAPTER 5

Monday morning came fast, Colby thought as she rolled over and hit the snooze button. “I’ll get up when the alarm goes off again,” she said. By the time she drifted back to sleep, it went off again, so she went ahead and got up. She got in the shower still asleep until the cold water hit her, then she was wide awake. She hurried up so she could make it to work on time and was out the house.

“Kim, can you please bring me Mr. Matthews’s folder?” “I’ll be right in. Would you like some coffee?” “No, thank you.” Kim walked in wearing a short black skirt with a white blouse under a red blazer and had her makeup on and her hair pinned up. Kim is 150 lb, tanned, five feet five inches, red head, with a pretty round face. “Well, don’t you look nice today? What’s the occasion?” “There is no occasion. I just wanted to turn over a new leaf. I’m tired of being a plain Jane.” “Well, it becomes you.” “Really, you mean you really like it?” She laid the folder down and switched out the room. Mitch had to laugh at that. I wonder if she’s trying to impress me, he thought. Kim was very proud of herself. Well, that’s a start. Maybe if I dress up every day, he will catch the hint and ask me out. It was a long day for Mitch; he had to get the presentation together before the

end of the week so he would be ready by next week. He called it the day a couple of hours early. “Kim, I’m going home. So if someone calls, tell them I’ll call them back tomorrow morning. And again I like this new look.” “Thanks, Mr. Harris, I’m glad you like it.”

Colby had an exhausting day. She’s a customer service representative for a big company, and it seemed everybody had a problem today. She had a pounding headache when she left for the day. Colby went home and laid down on the couch; before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep when the phone rang and woke her up. “Hello.” “Is Colby there?” “This is her.” “Hi, this is Mitch; did I catch you at a bad time?” “I was just lying down.” “I’ll call you later on.” “No, I can talk. So how was your day?” “Very stressful, I’ve been putting a presentation together along with all the other stuff.” “I know what you mean. It seemed like everyone had a problem that called me.” “What do you do?” “I’m a customer service rep for this company, and you?” “I work on computer systems and sell them to companies.” “So how was your weekend?” Colby asked.

“It was fine. I really didn’t do anything. Did you work out hard?” “Yes, but I needed it,” Colby said. “I jog about three times a week, so I can stay fit.” “Being healthy is important, but you really have to work at it. My friend and I go to the gym three to four times a week. It helps me to burn off a little frustration from work.” “So are you talking to anyone?” Mitch asked. “No, I just broke up with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago, and you?” “No, I don’t have time right now, and then I haven’t met the right one,” Mitch said. “I hear that. I think that’s all single people’s problem. Everyone is for themselves; to see what they can get out of it and not put anything in it. Do you know what I’m talking about?” “Unfortunately, I do. My problem is meeting all the gold diggers. It’s always what do you have that I can get.” They both started laughing. They talked on the phone about two hours straight about life in general. “I’ll let you go so you can finish relaxing; since I talked your ear off,” Mitch said. “No, you haven’t. I enjoy talking to you; at least we can see eye to eye on a lot of things,” Colby said. “Yes, we do. All right, you have a nice night and until next time.” Mitch felt a lot better after talking to Colby. He was still tired, but she seemed to ease away everything that was on his mind. “I think I can have a peaceful sleep tonight,” Mitch said. The more he talked to her, the more he started to like her even though he had no idea what she looked like. It was also the thought of telling a total stranger about you that makes it crazy. Mitch went to sleep that night feeling better than he’s felt in a while. Somebody was finally on his level, he thought.

Colby lay in her bed, thinking, Falling for a total stranger is nuts, but he makes me feel so relaxed like I’ve known him for a long time. Lord, thanks for my new phone friend. She smiled and slowly drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 6

The next morning when Colby woke up, she said her morning prayer and hopped out of bed humming Deborah Cox’s song, “How Did You Get Here.” She was feeling wonderful, so she took her shower and got dressed and was ready for what the day had to offer her. When she got to work, she ran into Logan. “Hey, Logan,” Colby said. “What’s up, Colby? Well, aren’t we glowing bright today? We must have had a date last night?” “Girl, you know I don’t do dates on weekdays. I just woke up on the right side of the bed today,” Colby said. “I guess I need to go back to bed and wake up on the other side, so I can be as perky as you,” said Logan. “Guess who I talked to last night?” “Who? Wait, don’t tell me it was that guy; what’s his name?” “Mitch,” Colby said. “Yeah, that Mitch guy. Is that the reason for your glowing this morning?” “No, I just feel good. I’m stress-free today, especially after yesterday. I told myself I’m not going to let them get to me anymore.” “I know exactly what you’re saying, but when people get on my nerves, I have to let them know. I say, ‘Looka here,’ then I call them whatever name is on my mind; then I say ‘You’re getting on my last nerve, and you want me to start acting my true color, don’t you?’” Colby busted out laughing and shaking her head. “Girl, you really don’t have any sense.”

“I bet you, they don’t fool with me,” Logan stated. They both started laughing. “Girl, you are silly. Are we still going to the spa today?” “If you want to.” “Okay, I’ll be by after work to pick you up,” Colby said. “Sounds good to me. Don’t let the customers get to you today. what I said: when they see your true colors come out of you, they back off.” “If you don’t get yourself away from me talking that stuff . . .” Colby was laughing and pushed Logan out of her cubicle. “If that girl ever changes for the better, we all better watch out.” Logan was laughing while she was walking to her desk. “That’s my girl.” Mitch woke up in a terrific mood too. He got up, fixed himself some breakfast, and cleaned the kitchen back up. As he was walking to his room to take a shower, the phone rang. “Hello.” “Hey, Mitch?” Clint said. “What’s up?” “Stop by and pick me up on your way to work. I had to put my car in the shop to get a brake job done on my back brakes.” “Sure, are you going to be ready in twenty minutes?” Mitch said. “Yeah, just honk when you get here.” “Later.” Mitch had to hurry up, since he had to stop and get some gas before picking up Clint and going to work. He had to stop at Exxon gas station. He pulled his wallet out his back pocket to swipe his card to pay for the gas when he looked around and saw a female approaching him. “Hello, stranger,” Tiffany said.

“Hi, how have you been? Oh, man, you wouldn’t believe what happened; by the time I got back to my car, I wrote the number down wrong.” He told her the number he had dialed. “You were pretty close. You just got the last two numbers turned around. Now, since you know it, you can use it.” “I will do just that. When is the best time to call?” “Anytime after six o’clock,” Tiffany said. “All right, I’ll call you later tonight,” Mitch said. “I’m looking forward to it.” Tiffany walked away with a little switch in her step. While pumping the gas, Mitch was thinking, Man, is she fine. After he finished, he got in his BMW to head over to pick Clint up. He blew the horn, and Clint came out and got in the car. “What’s up, man? Are you getting ready for that big presentation?” “Yeah, it’s almost finished. Clint man, you’ll never believe who I ran into this morning while I was getting gas?” “Who?” Clint asked. “Tiffany, the girl I met at the party a couple of weeks ago. She was looking good too.” “Did you get her number again?” “Yeah, I had the last two numbers turned around. Now, isn’t that something?” “Are you going to call her tonight?” Clint said. “Yeah, later on tonight.” “Maybe Tiffany and you could go out with Sandra and me this weekend.” “I’ll have to ask her. I’ll let you know tomorrow. When are you supposed to get your car out of the shop?” Mitch asked.

“It should be done by the time we get off from work. So can you take me to get it?” Clint asked. “Okay,” Mitch said. Mitch and Clint pulled up to the office and got out. Walking up to the building, Mitch said, “I should have this presentation done today. Kim will bring it by your office, so you can look it over.” “Okay, man. I’ll make sure you have everything on it so they can understand it the first go around.” Clint was one of the programmers in the office. When they got to the building, they both went their separate ways. Mitch worked hard on his presentation that day. He wanted everything to go well for Wednesday. He even skipped lunch. If it wasn’t for Kim bringing him some fruit, he would have starved. “Kim, thanks for lunch. Can you take this down to Clint’s office and tell him to have it back to me by the end of the day?” “I sure will.” “Is that a new outfit you have on today?” “Yes, I went on a shopping spree this weekend and spent a lot of money. Now, I’m gonna have to do some overtime to pay off that bill.” “I may have some extra filing and shredding that you can probably do this weekend. It’ll keep you out the malls,” Mitch said with a chuckle. “That will be fine. Will you be here this weekend?” “I’m not sure. It depends how the meeting goes tomorrow.” “I’m sure it will go just fine.” Kim picked up the folder and headed to Clint’s office to drop it off. Kim could see Clint working at his computer when she walked in. “Hey, Clint, here is the presentation Mr. Harris wanted me to give to you.”

“Okay, thanks,” Clint said, glancing over his computer at her. Clint looked back down at what he was doing; when he noticed she did not move from her position, he stopped what he was doing and concentrated on her. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” “Well, I was wondering since you and Mr. Harris are close friends, I was wondering what type of lady is he looking for?” Clint felt sorry for her. He knew she didn’t have a chance with his friend. So he tried to let her down easy. “Well, we are good friends, but at the moment I don’t think he is looking for anyone right now.” Kim felt kind of embarrassed for asking the question. “Well, I appreciate your . Can you not tell Mr. Harris I inquired about him?” “Sure thing, Kim.” Before she could get out his office good, he had picked the phone up to tell Mitch.

Colby’s day was wonderful. All the customers treated her good. She was waiting for Logan to finish for the day so they could go work out. “Girl, are you ready yet?” Colby asked. “Let me gather my junk. Follow me home so I can drop my car off. Okay?” Logan said. “Okay, but you need to come on. You know how the gym gets after four o’clock.” “All right, I’m coming,” Logan said. Colby followed Logan home, and they changed clothes in her house. “I have to wash my car today, so you want to do it before or after we work out?” asked Colby. “Hold up now, who was the one rushing me to hurry up so the gym wouldn’t be crowded? And now little miss wants her car washed too,” Logan said.

“No, you didn’t have to go there. Fine!” Colby jerked her head and said, “Let’s go work out then.” Logan put her hand up and said, “No, she doesn’t have an attitude.” They walked out the door to get in Colby’s red 2011 Camaro.

Mitch dropped Clint off at the dealership and drove to the salon to get his haircut. The salon had a few people in there waiting. Lisa was standing at the desk when he walked in the door. “Hey, Mitch, you need a cut today?” “Yeah, if you can get me in now.” “Sure, follow me on back. Well, don’t you look nice in that suit.” Mitch had on some black slacks with a beige dress shirt and a nice tie to match. He sat down in her chair and loosened up his tie and undid the top button of his shirt. “So how has life been treating our bachelor these days?” Lisa asked. “I can’t complain. I met a girl named Tiffany, and I’m supposed to call her tonight, and I have to fly out in the morning to do a presentation.” “You’re just a busybody, aren’t you?” “No, not really. Let me tell you about this girl named Colby.” “Wait a minute; you’re not trying to be a player, are you?” Mitch started laughing and pointed to himself. “Me, a player, now you know me better than that.” “Well, aren’t these two different women you’re talking about?” “Yeah.” He told Lisa how he met both ladies. “You know I’m going to be all in your business now, and I want a weekly update.” Lisa laughed so hard at the way he looked at her that she had to stop cutting his hair.

“I don’t think so, Dr. Ruth. I can handle this. I’m still a single man, so it doesn’t hurt to have a few female friends.” “You’re right, ’cause I know I have more guy friends than females. Less confusion, so how often do you talk to this Colby?” “We talk about every other day.” “Now wouldn’t that be funny if you fell in love over the phone with your friend.” “I seriously doubt that; we just talk on the phone, and that’s all.” “You know, one of my clients did that, and she married the man, and they are still a happy couple. They talked on the phone about seven or nine months, and they’ve been married for seven years now.” “Well, that’s your client, and not me.” “Okay, if it happens, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you first.” “I won’t.” “All finished, do you want me to shampoo your hair?” “No, I’ll do it when I take my shower.” “Okay, well, have a safe trip, and I’ll see you next time on As the World Turns starring Mitch Harris.” They both started laughing. Mitch paid and went home. As soon as he got home, he threw everything on the couch and headed for the kitchen to fix him something to eat. He looked at the clock and said, “I have a half hour before Tiffany gets home. I’ll call her after I take my shower.”

Colby and Logan went and worked out and washed Colby’s car. They act like sisters that bicker all the time, but they tell each other the truth. So it’s easy for them to fuss at each other one minute and laugh and talk the next. They’ve been friends for over ten years and counting.

“Girl, I am so tired.” Colby held on to each word. “I can’t wait to get home and hop in the tub,” Logan said. “You aren’t the only one. I’m not answering the phone. I’m going to light me two candles and put them on the tub, turn on my Johnny Gill CD, and just relax in my Jacuzzi with my bubble bath,” said Colby. “What happened to the wine?” “I’m going to be too tired to even try to open it up,” Colby said. They pulled up to Logan’s house, and she got out. “All right, girl, I think I’m going to do the exact same thing you’re going to do. Be careful, and I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” She shut the door and went into the house. Logan’s house was just the right size for her. She had a two-bedroom, one bath, massive living room and kitchen. Logan loved to cook and was always coming up with different recipes that she would try on Colby since she didn’t cook that much. Unlike Logan, Colby was an okay cook. She cooked just enough to get by. Colby drove home and went straight in the house, turned on Johnny Gill, and headed for her bathroom. She had a huge bathroom with warm colors that always set the mood for relaxation. When she bought the house, it already had speakers in the ceiling. So she was able to hear Johnny wherever she went. She didn’t even check her messages on the answering machine. She soaked in the Jacuzzi for forty-five minutes. By the time she got out, she was so relaxed; she fixed herself a sandwich and got in bed to read her romance novel.

CHAPTER 7

By the time Mitch finished with everything, it was going on eight o’clock. He picked up the phone and dialed Tiffany’s number. “Hello,” said a little kid. “Hi, can I please speak with Tiffany?” “Yes, Mommy, phone,” the three-year-old said. He heard the phone drop on the floor, so he pulled the phone away from his ear until he heard someone say “hello.” Rubbing his ear, he said, “Hi, Tiffany, this is Mitch.” “Hello, I’m sorry about the phone dropping.” “That’s okay.” They talked for an hour telling each other about themselves. She had to get off the phone so she could put her three-year-old son to bed. Mitch had on some silk pajama pants and no shirt when he went outside to check the mailbox. When he got back in the house, he picked up the phone again and pushed some buttons. “Hello,” said the sweet voice over the line. “Hello, is Colby there?” “Speaking,” she said. “This is Mitch. How has things been going since the last time we talked?” “I can’t complain, and you?”

“Busy, I’ve been writing my presentation I’m doing tomorrow, so hopefully it goes well. I have to fly out tomorrow morning, but I’ll be back later on that evening.” “I’m sure it will go well. Where are you flying to?” “I’m flying to Atlanta. I’m sure you have been there before.” “As a matter of fact, I was there a couple of months ago on business.” “So how was your day, Colby?” She told him about her day and how she relaxed in the Jacuzzi. “That sounds wonderful. I was thinking about getting a bigger one to put in my master bathroom. I could sure relax after a long day at the office.” “Get you some Calgon so it can take you away.” Mitch chuckled. “Yeah, I just might need to put my clothes back on and go get me some Calgon. Do they have some that smells like a man instead of peaches?” Colby snickered and said, “But you would smell good; just think you would walk a female and she would say, ‘Ummm, he smells like peaches.’” He cut her off. “Oh no, I won’t. I’ll just have to get something that didn’t have a floral scent to it.” “I seriously doubt that they have any that don’t smell like a female.” “No, it wouldn’t fit with this muscle-bound body anyway,” Mitch said. They both started laughing. “Mitch, I don’t want to keep you from going over your presentation and getting enough sleep for tomorrow, so I’ll let you go.” “Yeah, I’ll look over it before I go to bed. So I will talk to you when I get back into town.” “That sounds good. Have a safe trip and good night,” Colby said. “Okay, Colby, you have a nice night too.” They hung the phone up, each one

thinking about the other. Mitch went over his presentation before he packed his carry-on bag for tomorrow’s flight.

CHAPTER 8

Mitch woke up early so he could get to the airport in time to check in and not be in rush-hour traffic. He called Kim to make sure everything in the office was going to run smooth before he left for the airport. On his way, he was listening to his jazz, which always makes him relaxed. He made it to the airport and had to find the short-term parking lot. Once he parked, he walked around his car to make sure there were no scratches or dents on the car. He headed into the airport to get checked in. Mitch waited about forty-five minutes before he boarded the plane, and he was off to Atlanta.

Colby met Logan at Perkins for breakfast that morning. They both had the ham, egg, and cheese omelet with pancakes. “Girl, this is going to kill my diet,” Logan said. “That’s okay. We’ll work out a little harder and longer. It’s so good though. You should have cooked us something this morning that was better for our health.” “I’ll cook tomorrow morning. How about a breakfast wrap?” “Oh yes. What are you going to put in it?” Colby said. “Why don’t you come and help me? You need to learn how to cook so you can impress your friend.” “And who are you referring to?” “Mitch, isn’t that his name?” “Yes, but we are only talking over the phone. That is all. He hasn’t asked to meet me, and I haven’t asked to meet him. I think it’s all about talking to a mysterious man.” “What if he turned out to be a lunatic?”

“Oh, Lord, I hope he’s not. But if so, then we’ll come up with something to get him to stop calling me. I think it’s innocent though, so I’m not expecting a relationship or anything to come out of this.” “Keep me posted so if I have to act a fool, and you know I will, you won’t hold me back,” Logan said. “Girl, what am I going to do with you? You’re always wanting to fight. At least I know you got my back, and you know I got yours. But I’ll try to talk you out of it first, before you whoop that tail.” They both started laughing. “You know I don’t play. Oh, did you see that job posting for the new position?” Logan asked. “No, where is it?” “It was hanging by the information board. It sounds like something you would be interested in.” “Why do you say that?” “You’ll have your own office, and you will be training the new hires to do what you’re doing right now. So no more talking to customers and having them get on your nerves. How does that sound?” Logan said. “I’ll take a look at it. I hope it offers more money?” “I’m sure it does.” “How many people do you think will apply for it?” “I’m sure quite of few people will put their names on it.” “Well, what God has for me will be for me. I’ll put my name on the list and see what happens,” Colby said. “Good for you. Are you ready to go before we are late?” “That won’t look good if I’m going for another job position.” “No, it won’t.” They paid for their meals and made it to work on time. Colby

looked at the new job posting and put her name on the list. Six other people had already had their names on the list already. “Well, Lord, if it’s meant, show me favor over all these other people when I do my interview,” Colby said and went back to her cubicle.

Mitch made it to Atlanta, and Mr. Matthews was waiting at the airport for him. “How was your flight, Mitch?” “It was good. They were overbooked in coach, so I was able to move to first class, which is a lot better for me to stretch out my legs.” “Yeah, I would like that too. Have you eaten lunch yet?” “They did serve a light lunch on the plane,” Mitch said. “Well, we’ll stop somewhere and have a bite to eat before the meeting starts.” They ate at a local restaurant near the office. After they finished, Mr. Matthews pulled his Mercedes out of the parking lot. Mitch asked, “How do you like this car?” “I really like it. It has a smooth ride and very comfortable, especially for the size of men that we are.” “I have a BMW, and before I got that, I was thinking about getting a car like this.” “Now, I must say, the BMW has the getup that I like, but at my age I just need to cruise,” Mr. Matthews said. Both men laughed as they got out of the car. “Do you need any help with anything, Mitch?” “No, thanks, I have everything in here.” “I’m planning on retiring at the beginning of next year if all goes well.” “Well, lucky you! I hope you enjoy yourself. Do you have anything you’re going to do when that happens?” Mitch asked.

“I’m going to watch all three of my grandchildren and enjoy life.” “Well, I’m sure they will keep you young,” Mitch said. They walked into the building still talking and waited for the elevator to take them to the sixteenth floor of the building. Mr. Matthews showed Mitch to the conference room where the meeting was going to be held. Mitch had about an hour before the meeting started, so he hooked up his computer and looked over his notes real fast while sitting at the table. Mitch looked up when he heard the door open. In walked a tall blonde with a short blue business skirt and jacket on. She introduced herself and sat down across the table from him. Then the rest of the people started coming in. The whole time Mitch was making his presentation, the tall blonde hung on to every word that he had said. Afterward, he asked if anyone had any questions. There were about five people who asked questions. When the meeting was over, Mr. Matthews waited for him to finish packing up his belongings, as well as the tall blonde. Mr. Matthews picked up on what she was doing and excused himself for a couple of minutes. “Well, I must say that was a very good presentation, Mr. Harris,” the tall blonde said. “Thank you. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the number that I gave everyone, and I’m sure they will be able to help you.” He knew that wasn’t the reason she hung around after everybody else left, but he just wanted her to know it was strictly business and nothing more. “When I call this number, will you answer, or will it be someone else?” she said in a sexy voice. “Unfortunately, it will be someone else,” Mitch said as he barely looked her way. “I figured that. I guess you wouldn’t give your number to everyone in the meeting.” “No, I wouldn’t.” Just then, Mr. Matthews came back in and interrupted the tall blonde from asking any more questions. She said her goodbye and left the room. “I’m sorry about that, Mr. Harris. When Beverly sets her mind to go after a man, she is full speed ahead,” Mr. Matthews stated.

“No problem. I’m just glad you came back in. Well, I’m all finished here, and I have about two more hours before I have to get back to the airport,” Mitch said. “Would you like to go for drinks to the time?” “Yes, that would be fine.” Mitch gathered all his items and took one last glance around the room to make sure nothing was left behind, and out the door they went. Beverly overheard Mr. Matthews telling his secretary where they were going before returning Mr. Harris to the airport, so she was heading that way as well. She told her secretary she was leaving for the day. Grabbing her purse and keys, she headed for the door. She wasn’t going to get there before them, but she would try to be there for at least thirty minutes before they left. Mitch and Mr. Matthews walked into the bar and grill and sat at the bar. “Mitch, what would you like to drink?” “I’ll take a Budweiser.” “Is that all?” “Yeah, I’m not a big drinker.” “Okay.” When the bartender came over, Mr. Matthews gave him the order. They sat and talked about business, as well as the grandchildren. The next thing, Mitch felt someone in the seat next to his. When he looked up, it was the tall blonde from the meeting. Damn, this woman is persistent, Mitch thought. He bumped Mr. Matthews’s elbow and tilted his head toward her. Mr. Matthews broke out in a smile and shook his head. “Yeah, I told you,” he said, peeking around Mitch to see Beverly. Mitch tried his best to ignore her, but she wasn’t having that at all. “Mr. Harris, what a coincidence!” Beverly said. “Yes, it is. What brings you out this way?”

“Oh, I come here quite often when I get off from work.” “Really.” Mitch didn’t believe that until the bartender called her by her name. Damn, she wasn’t lying, he thought. “Are you getting the usual, Bev?” “Yes, I will.” “Coming right up,” said the bartender. “Well, hello, Mr. Matthews. I didn’t know you came here,” she said leaning into Mitch. “Beverly, I see you come here often with the bartender knowing your name,” Mr. Matthews said, a little annoyed. “Yes, when I want to unwind before I go home to my dogs.” She started laughing. Both men just looked at her and finished their drinks and got up. “It was nice seeing you again. Have a nice evening with the dogs,” Mitch said and strolled her out the door. Mr. Matthews eased next to her and whispered in her ear so no one could hear him. “If you pull another stunt like this again, you’ll be looking for another job. Not every man that comes to the office wants you. Stop throwing yourself at them like you’re desperate.” He straightened up his tall frame and walked out the door. On their way to the airport, they kept the conversation going about Beverly. “That woman has no shame in her game, does she?” Mitch said. “No, she does not. I feel sorry for her. She’s a nice-looking lady, but I don’t think she’s all there. Women like that get crazy, so it’s probably best it’s just her and the dogs,” Mr. Matthews said. “That’s the last thing I need—a crazy woman hunting me down. That’s the worst nightmare I hear.” They pulled up to the airport; Mitch got out, and Mr. Matthews followed after

him to the trunk of the car. “Thanks for doing the presentation. I think the new computer system will be a great advantage to the company.” “Anytime, Mr. Matthews, I left the cards for the guys just in case you need help with anything.” “Thanks, Mitch, and have a safe flight back. We look forward to doing business with you again.” “I appreciate the dinner and drinks,” Mitch said. The men shook hands, and Mitch headed inside the airport to get on his plane.

CHAPTER 9

Colby called on the phone. “Hey, Logan, I just put my name on the list. And did you know Pam put her name on the list too?” “I knew she would. She’s always saying that she’s ready to move up the ladder.” “Well, if she’s on the list, I might as well take my name off it.” “Now, why would you say something like that? You have just as much knowledge, skill, experience, and know-how; do I need to keep going?” “No, I get your point. I know I’m tripping. Thanks for the talk. I just needed a little encouragement,” Colby said. “Girl, you know I’ll do whatever I need to do to help you out. ’Cause your butt is going to get this job, and you’re not going to get scared.” “I know, I know. Thanks. Let me get back to work. I’ll see you after work.” “Okay, I’ll cook some dinner, and you can come over, and we’ll go over the job description, so your butt won’t be so nervous,” said Logan. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be over around six.” “You know you’re going to help me cook.” “No, I don’t want to,” said Colby. “I told you I’m going to get you ready for your friend.” “Whatever, I’ll be there.” They hung the phone up, and both went back to work. After they got off from work, Colby went home to change into some sweats and T-shirt so she can be comfortable helping Logan cook. Logan went to the store to buy some food to make spaghetti. This will be something easy for Colby to

make, she thought. Colby made it to Logan’s house before her. They have a key to each other’s house, so she went in and made herself at home. Twenty minutes later, Logan came in the house with a few bags on her arm. “Let me take the bags,” Colby said. “Nice of you to offer. Let me put my things down so we can start the cooking lesson.” Logan told Colby what ingredients to put in the meat, and she put the spaghetti on. Logan stood beside Colby while she cooked the meat and added the sauce. They steamed some broccoli and made some garlic bread. After everything was finished, they sat down in the dining room to eat. “Man, look at this spread here that I made,” Colby said, spreading her arms wide across the table. “It does look good. Let’s see how it tastes now,” Logan said before she said grace. “It does not taste bad at all. Good job, Colby.” “Oh yeah, this is awesome! Now I need to call my mom and tell her I made my first spaghetti that tasted like spaghetti.” They both fell out laughing. “You know I didn’t forget our Blue Bell ice cream with Sara Lee’s apple cobbler pie,” Logan said. “You’re going to make me hurt myself, girl. You’ll have to roll me to my car.” They both started laughing. After they finished eating everything, they cleaned up the kitchen and sat back down at the table. “Are you ready to start this thing?” Logan asked. She saw the way Colby was acting. “What are you so nervous about? You have this thing. I can’t believe the way you’re acting. I need to call your mom and tell her you lost your courage.” Colby had to get it together. She didn’t know what had come over her. Usually she is so confident about everything she does with no problem.

“You know, Logan, I’m not sure why I’m so nervous about this?” “Maybe you shouldn’t have looked to see who wrote their names on the list. Because once you saw Pam’s name, you started tripping. What is it about her that intimidates you?” “I won’t say that,” Colby said. “Well, it’s something. And you need to figure it out before you have your interview. If not, you won’t be getting that position.” “I’ll have everything ready and figured out by next week,” Colby said. “I hope so,” said Logan. “Thanks for my cooking lessons, but I have to run so I can get ready for work tomorrow.” Colby got her purse and started for the door. “Okay, Colby, whatever this woman has over you really has you bugged out. I can say, I’ve never seen you like this. I’ll be praying that the Lord reveals what the problem is, sweetie.” “Thanks again, Logan. What would I do without you, girl?” Logan popped her collar. “You know, I don’t know.” Colby gave her best friend a hug and got in her car. Logan stood in the doorway, staring at her friend as she drove away. “Lord, show her what is bothering her and help her to deal with it and overcome it.” She shut the door and turned all the lights off and went into her bedroom. On the way home, Colby turned off the radio and drove home in complete silence.

CHAPTER 10

Mitch made it back into town. He was tired by the time he got to his car. He walked around it like he always does. He clicked the remote, opened the door, and got in. Mitch started the car and drove up to the toll gate to pay. “Man, I can’t wait to get home. I should take tomorrow off and relax. I think I will.” He paid for the parking and pulled the BMW onto the road to head for his house. He called Clint to let him know how everything went and told him he was taking tomorrow off. By the time Mitch got home, it was ten thirty. He didn’t feel like calling or talking to anyone, so he threw everything in the chair, in his bedroom, and headed for the bathroom. Once he came out, he had stripped down to his boxers and jumped into bed to watch TV. Colby was on his mind really heavy, so he had to call and see what was going on. Mitch picked up the phone and dialed her number. The phone just rang, so he hung up. Colby looked at the caller ID on the phone when she got out of the bathroom. Should I call him back? she thought, so she picked up the phone and dialed his number. “Hello,” Mitch said. “Hey, I saw I just missed your call.” “Yeah, you were heavy on my mind, so I had to call and see how you were doing.” “I’m fine.” “You sure don’t sound fine. Is there anything I can do?” “No, I just have a lot of things on my mind that I have to deal with.” “You know I’m a good listener if you need to borrow my ear.” “Oh, really.”

“Yes, really,” he said. “Okay, here it goes. There is a new position that was posted at work, so I put my name on it with six other people. Right before they took the list down, Pam ran up and put her name on it. I’m very confident in my skills and knowledgeable about my job and the one I’m applying for. But this lady named Pam applied for the same position. She has beaten me at everything or has done better than me ever since I’ve known her. We went to high school and college together. Everything I tried out for, she did too, and they would always pick her. She would always say, “Oh, Colby, I didn’t know you wanted it. They picked me, because I’m better than you.” I mean this happened every single time I would go out for something. I would wait and be the last person to put my name on a list once I saw her name wasn’t on it. And look, it’s happening again,” Colby said while shaking her head. Mitch just sat there on the phone, not knowing if she was finished or if he needed to say anything. So he just held the phone. “I think she does that just to get to me. I don’t ever doing anything to her to make her act this way toward me.” Now it was his turn to talk. “Colby, sometimes it’s nothing that you do, but it’s something she is trying to prove to herself. It looks like she has chosen you to battle her demons.” “Say, what?” Colby said, confused. “She probably had a terrible childhood that made her feel second to her siblings, or they could have told her she didn’t mount up to anybody. Since you were there half her life, she chose you to compete against to make her feel good.” “You know I’m sitting here thinking it’s me that has the problem, when all along it’s her. Oh, I could just give you a hug. I have never even thought about that, and all along I’m thinking I’m the one with the problem. I’m so glad I called you back,” Colby exclaimed. “I am too. I’m glad I was able to help.” “I’m so sorry. I went on and on about me, and I forgot to ask you about your trip. So how did everything go?”

“Everything went really good. I had some lady trying to throw herself at me all day long. It was pathetic,” Mitch said. “Was she an ugly lady?” “No, she looked okay. She was too aggressive.” He told Colby what the blonde had done while he was there. “Well, she must have liked what she saw.” “Yeah, but, man, let the man come after the woman, not the other way around,” he told Colby. “It does say, ‘When a man finds a wife, he finds a good thing.’” Colby quoted a scripture out of the Bible. “Yes, it does,” Mitch replied. “Oh, my goodness, I need to get my butt in the bed. It’s almost midnight. I have to get up at six thirty, so I’ll call you tomorrow. And thanks for listening to me and helping me solve my issue.” “That’s no problem. That’s what friends are for,” he said. “Well, you have a good night, or should I say good morning.” “You too, Colby.” They both hung the phone up; Colby said a silent prayer thanking God and went to sleep. The next day at work, Colby walked in with a better attitude. She made up in her mind that she wasn’t going to let Pam get to her. As a matter of fact, she’ll try and befriend her. Now she just had to let Logan know her plan. Just then, Logan walked around the corner. “Hey, Logan,” Colby said. “Hey, honey, how are you feeling this morning?” she asked in her most caring voice. “My goodness, girl, why are you acting like someone died?” “I thought the person who stole my best friend yesterday was still holding on to

her today.” “No, I feel better after talking to Mitch last night,” Colby said with a smile. “Oh, wait one minute,” Logan said with an attitude. “You mean to tell me some guy you’ve only known for a couple of months now, you opened up to him and told him why you were in such a sour mood.” Logan was clearly upset. “And I’ve been your best friend for ten years, and you couldn’t tell me what the problem was. I’m so hurt. I can’t believe this,” she said, shaking her head and tried to walk away before Colby pulled her arm and walked her to the bathroom. “Logan, look at me. Now you know no one will come between us, especially after all we’ve been through. When I left your house, I didn’t know why it was bothering me so much. I even drove home with no music on. And you know that’s not me. I just prayed all the way home, and when I got home Mitch had called. We talked, and that’s when it hit me. So since we were on the phone I just started talking about it, and he helped me to understand what the problem was.” “You said all of that to say what, Colby?” Logan was highly upset. “Hold on, hold on, Logan, my goodness. Why are you so upset? I said that I didn’t know why it was bothering me so much when I was at your house. It wasn’t until I got home did I realize what the issue was. That’s what prayer does, when you pray for someone, like you did for me, God answered our prayers. So be thankful that he revealed it to me.” “I’m still upset. You could have called me last night when you got off the phone with him and told me. I was up all night thinking about you. That was so selfish of you.” “You’re right, and I apologize that I didn’t call and tell you. But I thank you,” Colby said with a smile on her face. “Logan girl, you know I love you, and I thank you for always being there for me and listening to me.” Logan had her arms folded up with her head tilted up in the air. “Come on, Logan, don’t act like that. Do you need a hug?” Colby walked up to her and gave her a hug. Logan finally gave up and hugged her best friend back. “Next time your butt needs to call me, I don’t care what time it is and who you

have talked to. Do you hear me?” Logan said with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, now do you want to know what the issue was?” Logan shook her head. “Okay, you know Pam and I have gone to high school and college together. Everything I tried out for she tried out too. If they only had one position to fill, you know who got it. She did. I mean this didn’t happen just once, but all the time. It would make me so mad. So I started just g up for anything and everything. And yes, she did too. I had her in about five different things. I said if she wants to beat me in everything, damn it, I’m gonna wear her butt out.” They both started laughing. “Now, don’t still be mad at me,” Colby said as she looked at Logan with sad puppy dog eyes. “I’ll let you slide this time, but next time I’m not going to let you off the hook. Okay, and I’m not going to be jealous of this new guy friend of yours either.” “That’s good to know, ’cause we can’t go through this every time.” “So what do you plan on doing with this present issue?” “I’m going to kill her with kindness. What do they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” “Sounds like a plan to me. What part do you want me to play?” Logan asked. “I need you to kill her with kindness too.” “What? Girl, you know I can’t do that. I need some action. That’s not what I call action.” “You know this will be the first for you to show that nice girl side,” Colby said. “Oh, that’s not fun. I want to be the intimidator.” “No,” Colby said with a laugh. “This will be good for you.” They started out the bathroom just as Pam was coming in. They looked at each other, and Colby said, “Hello, Pam, nice sweater you have on today.” “Oh, this old thing.” She looked Colby up and down and then smiled. Logan cleared her throat just as she saw the way Colby looked at Pam.

“It does look a little old, doesn’t it, Colby?” Logan said. “Yeah, you have a few lint balls on your back. Let me get them off,” Colby said. Pam turned all the way around in the mirror to try and see if she could see it. “I don’t see anything.” “Oh, I thought it was. My bad,” Colby said. “I saw you put your name on the new position,” Pam said. “Yes, and may the best woman win,” Colby said with a firm voice. Logan pushed Colby out the bathroom. “I thought you said we’re going to kill her with kindness. What happened to that?” “That heifer there is going to make my true colors come out.” “What, calm your nerves, Colby? It’s going to be okay.” “If she wants a fight, then that’s exactly what she’s going to get.” “That’s my girl,” Logan said. They both went back to their desk.

CHAPTER 11

Mitch got up and decided to go into work. He went jogging like he tries to do every morning before work. Jogging frees his mind and allows him to think about his day. He did his usual miles and went back home to shower before work. Mitch got to work on time and headed for his office when he ran into Clint in the hallway. They walked into Clint’s office. “What’s going on, Mitch? I thought you were going to take the day off.” “I got enough sleep last night, so I came in.” “How’d the meeting go?” “It went good. Thanks for the extra notes you put in. Mr. Matthews was very pleased. So it should run very smoothly.” “Glad to hear that. We have another job we’re getting ready to do for this big company. I’m not sure what the name of it is, but I need to get with you once we have more details about it.” “Sounds good to me,” Mitch said. “Man, what are you going to do with your secretary?” “What are you talking about?” “You know she has the hots for you.” “I’m not going to do anything.” “Are you sure?” Clint said. “Yeah, I’m sure it’ll .” “All right, man, whatever you say. I’m just saying, you may need to nip it in the

bud.” “If I see it getting out of hand, I’ll say something to her about it. But at the moment, she’s just finding her new self. I don’t think it hurts to compliment her on her new look.” “All right, like I said you need to let her know you’re not interested regardless if she changes her look,” Clint told Mitch. “Okay, I’ll take care of it,” Mitch said as he got up to walk out of Clint’s office. “Hey, I’ll let you know later this week about this company that wants our computer system,” Clint said. “We’ll do,” Mitch said as he walked out, leaving Clint looking at his back. As he walked back to his office, he thought about what he and Clint had talked about. He was in denial about Kim. Maybe he’ll get another opinion on this since he’ll be getting his haircut at the end of the week. He strolled in his office and sat down in the chair and looked out the window. He didn’t hear Kim come into his office, but he felt someone watching him, so he turned back around in his chair. Sure enough, Kim was standing in the doorway with a cup of coffee in one hand and the paper in the other. She had on another new suit. He thought about the early conversation with Clint and decided to see if there was any truth behind what Clint had said. “Good morning, Kim, is that another new suit?” “Why yes, it is, Mr. Harris. You are very observant. You know ladies like that.” “Really!” “Yes, Mr. Harris,” Kim said in her sexiest voice. “Here is the morning paper, and I put some other papers on your desk for you to look over. How did the meeting go?” “It went very well. Thanks for asking,” Mitch said. “You did have someone named Beverly call late last night. I asked if she wanted to leave her last name or a message. She said she would call back today.” Mitch was racking his brain to a Beverly. Then it came to him—the lady from his Atlanta trip. “I think she works in the office in Atlanta that will be

getting our computer system. If she calls again, transfer her to the right extension to help her with the problem.” “I sure will. Is there anything else you need at the moment?” “No, I’ll let you know later. Thanks, Kim.” She walked out with her new switch that he was now accustomed to when she left his office. He had to laugh at it.

Lunch time had rolled around, and Colby’s stomach was talking loud to her. She punched in Logan’s extension. “Hey, it’s time for lunch. Where do you want to go?” “Let’s go to Subway.” “Look, anything sounds good to me right now. See you in about five minutes. I need to wrap up what I’m working on.” “Okay, I’ll come down there now.” They hung the phone up, and Logan grabbed her purse and walked to Colby’s cubicle. Pam was watching every move Logan and Colby made and was taking notes. “Oh, Colby, I do have something to tell you,” Logan said once she walked up to her cubicle. “What is it?” “I’ll tell you when we get to Subway.” “This must be juicy. Let me hurry up,” Colby said as she put the papers in a neat stack. She grabbed her purse, and they both walked out of the office. Pam wasn’t too far behind them. She did hear where they were eating lunch at and would make it her business to be where they were. It was such a nice day outside they decided to walk. Colby and Logan made it to Subway and ordered their lunch. They sat with their backs toward the door so they had no idea who was coming or going. Pam sat right behind them to try and

listen to their conversation. “Colby, guess what?” Logan said. “What?” “I have a date tonight.” “Really, with who?” Colby said. “Do you that guy we met at the gym that helped me do my squats the proper way?” “I’m trying to . Describe him to me.” “He’s that sexy chocolate color, bald head, pretty white teeth, about six feet three inches, and a body out of this world. He’s so fine.” “Well, look at you. I guess that means no working out today.” “You can still go, but I’m going straight home to get all dolled up.” “You know I’m coming over to your house to make sure you are going to be drop dead gorgeous. He won’t be able to take his eyes off you. Why don’t you wear that outfit you just got at the mall.” “You know, you’re absolutely right. I forgot all about that outfit. You just saved me some money. ’Cause I was getting ready to leave and buy me something new.” “Well, I’m glad to help. What time is he supposed to come and get you?” “Oh no, babe, I don’t let any man that I just met come to the house. I have to at least go out with him for three months. Just in case he starts wanting to stalk a sista,” Logan said. “You’re right. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Pam didn’t want to waste the rest of her lunch eavesdropping on a bunch of nonsense that didn’t have anything to do with her. So she finished her sandwich and made an exit to the door. Logan looked around Subway to see if anyone that

worked in the office was in there. After she didn’t see anyone, she leaned closer to Colby and motioned her to scoot closer to the table. “What is it?” Colby whispered. “I just wanted to make sure no one was close to hear what I have to tell you.” Since Logan was looking around, Colby started looking all around too. “Damn, girl, is it good or bad? You got me all nervous and things,” Colby said. “It’s good, but you can’t tell anyone about this. You promise.” “Come on, get to it,” Colby said anxiously. “Wait now. Do you promise?” “OMG, Logan. Who do you think I’m going to tell?” “You just might tell your guy friend and—” Before Logan could say anything else, Colby cut her off and said, “Okay, I promise. Spit it out.” Pam had forgotten her purse at the table and walked back in to get it when she saw them whispering at the table. So she slid back into the chair and leaned back to hear their conversation. “Since you’re so anxious, they chose me to sit in on the interviews next week. Isn’t that great?” Logan said with excitement. “That is exciting. So I know I have one person on my side.” “I’ll do everything I can to help you out.” “Thank you. Wow, I can’t believe this. God is truly watching over me,” Colby said with her head bowed down. Pam’s eyes got wide as she put her purse on her arm and walked out of Subway. She could not believe what she just heard. “If she gets this job, I know it was a setup, and I will fight her tooth and nail before I give it up,” Pam told herself. “, no one is to know,” Logan said.

“My lips are sealed.” Colby pretended she zipped her lips up. “I want to stop and get some ice cream before we go back to work,” Logan said. “Sounds good to me. I can just taste the cookies ‘n’ cream with hot fudge on top. Don’t let me get two scoops,” Colby said. “That’s when your willpower has to kick in, because I know I’m getting two scoops.” “Oh gosh, Logan, order for me, then I’ll know I’ll just get one scoop,” Colby said with a chuckle. “Since your willpower isn’t strong right now and mine is, I’ll hook you up with two scoops.” Logan busted up laughing. “Now, that’s not fair. That’s okay. I’m going to be strong and just order one scoop. Just wait and see.” Colby wrinkled her nose up at Logan as they walked out of Subway. “We’ll see,” Logan said as she opened the door to Baskin Robbins, and they walked up to the counter. The waiter behind the counter asked if she could help them. Logan said, “Can I get one scoop of pralines ‘n’ cream and one scoop of chocolate chip in a cup?” Logan looked at Colby to see if she still wanted her to order for her. “Can I please have two scoops of cookies ‘n’ cream with hot fudge on it,” Colby said, and the lady repeated back what she just said. “Yes, I mean, no, just give me one scoop,” Colby said with a sigh. Logan hugged Colby and said, “I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it.” “Yeah, yeah,” murmured Colby. They got their ice cream and headed back to work.

Mitch got up from his desk to stretch his legs since he had been sitting down ever since that morning. He walked over to the window to look out; just then, Kim walked in his office. Man, what a nice body Mitch has. I wish I was that lucky lady he goes home to every day, Kim thought. Kim was daydreaming so hard she did not know Mitch had turned around to see her looking dreamy eyed at him. Mitch cleared his throat, and Kim jumped. “Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Harris. I was just daydreaming about being outside.” She walked over to the window close to where he was standing at and peered out the window. She had to make up something so he wouldn’t know her true thoughts. “It does look like a very nice spring day. I think I’ll go out for lunch today. Have you eaten already?” Mitch asked. “I brought my lunch today. You know I’m trying to pay off these bills.” Mitch reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Here’s a ten. Why don’t you go buy something to eat?” he said. “Mr. Harris, I can’t take that,” she said, knowing all along she wanted to snatch it out his hand and give him a big kiss on the lips. “I insist, Kim. You work so hard. Just say it’s a little something to show my appreciation.” “Well, if you insist.” She reached out and took the money and gave him a hug. “OMG, this man feels so good,” she said to herself while still holding on to him. Mitch was shocked. He wasn’t expecting this kind of gratitude. So he put one arm around her and patted her on the back. He pulled out of her grip and walked back toward his desk. Kim walked to the door and told him she was going to step out for lunch as well; she turned and walked out his office. Mitch rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn’t believe what just happened. I have never seen anyone that happy about receiving ten bucks. Maybe Clint was right about her just a little bit, he thought. He straightened up his desk and walked out and shut his office door behind him. He walked Clint’s office, but didn’t see him so he kept walking out of the building to get something to eat. He didn’t want to drive, so he would try to find something close to his office. There were plenty of people out today thinking like him, wanting to get out of the office and soak up the beautiful day. There was just a little breeze, and the sun was pouring out its rays on everyone. He chose to get a steak sandwich at Lenny’s which was close

to the ice cream shop. Mitch had his shades on and was in no hurry to get there. He was walking behind two women, and one of them was smelling good. He never smelled that perfume before, and he knew he would it if the opportunity presented itself again. He looked at the women in front of him, both nice tall bodies. One was just a little taller and thinner than the other one. Both nicely dressed in business suits. He thought he recognized the voice and the laugh on the taller lady, but dismissed it for a second when the ladies crossed the street and headed into the first building. He tried to see their faces, but they turned before he could them. He went into Lenny’s and ordered his sandwich. All the while thinking about the tall lady and her perfume he walked behind five minutes ago. He finished his sandwich and went back to his office. Kim was back behind her desk when he walked in. “Thanks again for lunch, Mr. Harris,” she said as the phone began to ring. “Mr. Harris’s office, how can I help you? Let me see if he’s made it back from lunch.” She put the caller on hold and said, “It sounds like the lady from Atlanta. Beverly, I think that’s her name.” Mitch rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’ll take it in my office.” He walked over to the phone and said, “Hello, this is Mitch.” “Hi, Mitch, this is Beverly. I was just calling to see how you were doing and that this new computer system is very challenging for me.” “Have you called the 1-800 number on the card I left?” “Yes, I did. I thought you could walk me through it a little more detailed than they did.” “I’ll transfer you to the expert that made the program. He’ll be more in-depth than I would be. Hold on one minute, Beverly.” He put her on hold before she could say another word. He punched in Clint’s extension and gave him heads up. “I’ll handle her,” he said as he hung up with Mitch and clicked over to Beverly. Five minutes later, Mitch’s phone was ringing. He looked down at the caller ID and picked it up. “What’s up?” “Man, that lady is a nutcase. She tried to sound like she didn’t know anything. So when I started breaking everything down, shoot she was telling me how

everything worked. I complimented her on learning the system. And, man, she was like melted butter. I don’t think she’ll be calling you anymore.” “Thank you, man. When I do my follow up with them next month, I’ll make sure you’re going with me.” “Nah, that’s okay. I’ll let you handle it for me,” Clint said while laughing. “Come on, man, I thought you liked those aggressive women.” “I do, but dog, let me still be the man. She’s too aggressive. She needs dude at the end of the hallway. You might be able to take him with you. He’ll eat that shit up,” Clint said, laughing. “Man, you’re nuts. What time are you leaving today?” Mitch said. “I’m getting ready to go in the next thirty minutes. I’m meeting Sandra for dinner. Did you and Tiffany want to go?” “No, she has a kid, man. I mean that’s cool and all, but I don’t want to get involved with her. Even though her body is out of this world and we have decent conversations. I’ll just keep her as a friend. I might take her out a couple of times.” “What you don’t want to be a daddy right now?” “No, I don’t.” “Me either, but if Sandra had a kid, I’d play daddy to it.” “See, that’s the difference between you and me. I want my own kid, and you don’t mind taking on someone else’s,” Mitch said. “The way I see it, if I love her, I have to love her kid too,” Clint said. “Yeah, that’s why I try not to get caught up in anything like that.” “Man, you’re selfish.” “Look, Clint, call it what you want, but I know what I want and don’t want.

“Mitch, you’re going to listen to your elder one of these days.” “Man, just because you’re four months older than me.” Clint cut him off and said, “That still makes me your elder. Now what do you have to say?” Both men started laughing. “On that note, my man, I’ll let you go. Hit me later after yours and Sandra’s dinner.” “All right later,” Clint said.

CHAPTER 12

Colby got back to her cubicle and started back to work. She noticed Pam kept looking at her whenever she would get up. So she walked over to her cubicle and asked her a question. “Hey, Pam, do you know when we are getting the new system?” Colby already knew the answer, but she wanted to see how much Pam knew. “Yes, we are getting it in two weeks. Right after they pick the candidate for the new supervisor position,” Pam said. “Oh, okay. I wonder if it’s going to be similar to the one we’re working on now.” “I don’t have a clue.” Pam was very short with Colby. Colby didn’t pay her any attention and kept on talking. “Do you work out?” “No, I don’t.” “Well, if you ever want to go to the gym, you can come and work out with Logan and me.” “No, thank you,” Pam said as she turned her head back to the computer. “Okay, I was just letting you know. I’ll talk to you later.” Colby smiled at her and walked away. Pam squinted her eyes and said, “If you think I want to hang out with you two, think again, sweetie,” she said under her breath. Deep down, she really wanted to hang out with them, but she didn’t trust them. Colby went back to her seat, and before she could sit down, the phone rang. It was her boss on the other end confirming her interview in two days. Colby knew she had to start preparing herself for the interview. So she dug into her drawer

and pulled out the work handbook and turned to the pages that talked about supervisors. She was going to study for the next two days. She wanted to get the job on her own without Logan’s help. Colby had read the pages five times, and before she knew it, Logan came by humming. “Is it time to go already?” Colby asked. “Yes, it is, come on so we can go get me ready for this date,” Logan said with excitement. Colby cleaned up her desk and grabbed her purse and the handbook. “Well, let’s go get Cinderella ready for her ball. you have to be home before the hand strikes midnight,” Colby said with a raised hand. They both started laughing as they walked out the office. Pam heard laughter in the office and looked up to see Logan and Colby exiting the office laughing. I just might take Colby up on her offer. They always seem to have a lot of fun, and I’m always trying to outdo everybody, Pam thought.

Mitch saw Clint leave, and Kim popped her head in his office to let him know she was leaving. “Have a good evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told Kim. “You too,” she said and gave him a wink. Mitch just smiled as Kim left the office. He picked up the phone and called Lisa to see if she had any opening to get his haircut. The receptionist told him she was all booked up today, but made the appointment for tomorrow. Since he wasn’t going to get his haircut today, he would go to the grocery store and pick up a few things to cook. Maybe he would call Tiffany to see if she wanted to come over. He punched her number in his phone and waited for her to pick up. “Hello,” she said. “Hey, Tiffany, what’s going on?” “Nothing, who is this?”

“This is Mitch. Did you forget about me already?” “No, sir, how can someone forget about you? That would be hard to do, because you are the sexiest man that has crossed my path in a long time.” “Is that so? Well, what are you doing for dinner?” Mitch asked. “I don’t have any plans if that’s what you’re hinting at.” “Would you like to come over and eat dinner with me?” “Yes, just name the time and place, and I’ll be there,” she said. “What do you like to eat? So I’ll know what to pick up from the store.” “Let me tell you what I don’t like, and you can go from there. I don’t like beef or pork. I’m more of a fresh fruit and veggie person. I do eat fish.” “What type of fish?” “I prefer tilapia or salmon,” Tiffany said. “Okay, that sounds good with me. I’ll pick up some rice, broccoli, and do some glazed carrots with a salad. What type of dressing do you eat?” “I like ranch.” “Okay, I’ll call you in a couple of hours and give you the address. So I’ll see you soon,” Mitch said. “I’ll be there,” Tiffany said as she hung the phone up. “Since he didn’t mention any drinks or dessert, I’ll surprise him and bring it. I wonder what kind of wine he likes.” Mitch left the office and went to the grocery store to pick up the food. After he got everything, he went home to prepare his gourmet meal. He liked cooking, but it wasn’t fun cooking for just one person all the time. He started the grill out back and turned on his jazz while walking into his room to change clothes. After he got dressed, he walked in the kitchen and started cooking. When the food was almost done, he called Tiffany and gave her his address. Fifteen minutes later, he

heard his doorbell ring, so he walked over to the door and opened it up. Tiffany was standing there with a bottle of wine and a cheesecake. “Well, well, well,” Mitch said with a big smile. “Let me take that from you, and come on in. Don’t you look nice,” he said. She had on a light yellow sweater and some dark blue skinny jeans with matching bracelets and earrings. “Thank you. You didn’t mention drinks or dessert, so I thought since you got the main course, I would bring the rest. I hope you like them,” she said in her sexy voice as she walked in the house. “This is a really nice house. Did you decorate it yourself?” “I wish I was that talented. No, I had an interior decorator come in and do all of this. So I can’t take any credit for anything in the house.” “She did an awesome job,” Tiffany said. “Thank you. The salmon should be ready to come off the grill by now,” Mitch said as he walked out on the deck off the kitchen. Tiffany followed behind him. “Oh my goodness, this is gorgeous,” she said as she looked over the landscape that was in the backyard. “Okay, I know you didn’t do the inside, how about the outside?” “Now I can take just a little credit for that. I told them how I wanted it, and they were able to fix it like that. They did a good job if I say so myself.” Tiffany never dated a man with such good taste in everything. She was as happy as a kid in a candy store. Mitch took the salmon off the grill and headed for the kitchen. Tiffany stayed outside iring the yard. “Hey, Mitch, can we eat out here on the deck? It’s so nice out here,” she said. “Yeah, that’s fine with me.” “Let me give you a hand,” Tiffany said as she walked in the kitchen to help Mitch. She grabbed the wine glasses and utensils and placed them on the patio

table. She turned around and headed back in the kitchen to get the wine and napkins. Mitch was putting the food on the plates. “Wow, that smells and looks good. I can’t wait to taste it,” she said as her mouth started watering. “I hope you like it,” Mitch said as he put the plates on the table. He pulled out her chair, and she sat down and placed her napkin in her lap. He grabbed the wine to pop the top. He had already had some wine in his wine chiller, so he left hers in the kitchen. He sat down and said grace. They ate their meal over a light conversation. Tiffany raved on and on about his cooking skills as she helped clean up the kitchen with him. As they finished cleaning up, Tiffany said, “I have really enjoyed myself. I can’t cook like that, so I’ll have to take you out when it’s my turn to cook.” “I guess this means it’s a date then,” Mitch said as he walked her to the door. “Yes it is,” she said with a smile. She gave him a hug and told him she would call when she got home. He walked her to her car and opened the door so she could get in. They said their goodbyes, and she drove off. Mitch walked back in the house and headed for the couch to relax and watch some sports. He had to it he had a nice time with her. The possibility was there, to try and get to know her a little better.

Logan and Colby made it to Logan’s house. Logan took a quick shower while Colby was picking out her accessories to go with her new outfit. Logan came out of the bathroom dressed; all she needed to do was put her makeup on, do her hair, and put on her jewelry. Colby watched as she put her makeup on. “Logan, I don’t want you to help me get the job,” Colby said. “What?” Logan said, looking at her like she had lost her mind. “I want to know that I can do it all by myself, and they know that I’m the best candidate for the job. That’s what I was studying when you came to my desk.” “If you feel that strong about it, your wish is my command.” “Thanks, girl,” Colby said as she got up and stood behind Logan. “I think you

should wear your hair up,” she said as she showed her how to do a loose French roll. “That does look better. Now me my necklace and earrings,” Logan said. “Yes, ma’am.” Colby put her hand up like a solider saluting his captain. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just a little nervous. You know how long it’s been since I went out on a date,” Logan said. “You may need to knock the cobwebs off your butt,” Colby said, laughing. “Ha, ha, ha! That’s not funny.” “You know I’m just playing with you.” “You know you’re not too far behind me. When did you break up with that one guy?” “It’s been a couple of months now, and I don’t miss him. I don’t know why I stayed with him that long. He was nothing but a liar and a cheat. They need to have a tattoo for men that says, ‘I’m not a one woman’s man,’” Colby said. “No, it should read, ‘If you don’t mind being number two or three, neither do I. It needs to be in big letters written across their chest. So when they get ready to take their shirts off, you see this in all capital letters.” Both of them started laughing. “Girl, I promise you don’t have any sense,” Colby said as she watched Logan finish her final touches on her appearance. “Well, how do I look?” she asked as she walked and turned around so Colby could see all angles. “You look gorgeous. I’m staying until he picks you up, so I can be nosy.” “That’s fine with me, as long as your butt is gone before I get back.” “What happened to a man not picking you up on the first date at your house?” Colby looked at her with her hands on her hips.

“That’s only if they are ugly, then of course you don’t want them knowing where you live. With a guy as fine as the one that’s picking me up, it’s okay,” Logan said, laughing and shaking her head up and down. “ I need to study for this position.” There was a knock at the door. They both looked at each other, and Colby took off for the door. Logan checked herself out again in the mirror before she heard Colby come back into the room. “OMG, Logan, he is nice looking and smelling good too. You should have some fun tonight. Call me and let me know all about it if it’s not too late.” They walked out the bedroom and entered the living room where he was standing. “Wow, you look beautiful,” he said. “Thanks. You look very nice yourself,” Logan said with a huge smile. “Shall we go? It was nice meeting you, Colby,” he said as he took Logan’s hand and escorted her out the door. “You two have fun tonight and don’t keep her out too late,” Colby said like a protective mother. “I won’t,” he said as he opened the car door for Logan. Colby grabbed her belongings and turned off all the lights, but left a lamp on so Logan wouldn’t come in to a dark house. She closed, locked the door, and got in her car. When Colby made it home, she went to the kitchen and made her a salad so she can start studying. She ate her salad and sat down in her recliner with her book. Colby studied so long she didn’t realize that it was almost midnight. She looked again at her watch and thought, Logan hadn’t called. I wonder if she made it home. Let me call her. She got up and went into her bedroom and put on her night clothes. Colby picked up the phone and dialed Logan’s number. She let it ring ten times and then hung up. “I hope she’s having a good time,” Colby said before she said her prayers and fell asleep. Her phone ringing woke her up the next morning. “Hello,” Colby said with a sleepy voice. “Girl, get up. Let me tell you about my night,” Logan practically screamed in the

phone. “What time is it?” “It’s time for you to get up and listen to me.” Colby cleared her throat. “Okay, let’s hear it.” “Oh my goodness, Colby, that man knows how to romance a lady. When we got in the car, his backseat had a huge bear holding a dozen of roses for me. Then he took me to a museum to look at some black art. He held my hand the whole time.” “He acts like he’s known you for a while,” Colby said. “We were just that comfortable with each other. I mean it seems like I’ve known him all my life. Anyhow, after we left the museum, he took me to a really nice Italian restaurant. This man is fluent in Italian. He ordered for me, and let me tell you, that food was so good it made me want to slap his momma.” Both girls started laughing. “I must say that was a good date,” Colby said. “Wait a minute, I’m not done. After we ate, we went to a jazz club and listened to some music and danced. This man picked up a saxophone and played a Kenny G song. Girl, you know I fell out,” Logan said, laughing. “He stole my heart, before I even knew it was gone. We were having so much fun, by the time we looked at the clock, it was two o’clock in the morning.” “I called you around midnight to see if you had made it home yet. I’m so glad you had a wonderful time. Now, how in the world is he going to top that date with another one. I must say you got wine and dined the right way. That’s my girl.” “After he dropped me off, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. Our conversation was wonderful. Shoot, the whole date was off the chain.” “When are you guys going out again?” Colby asked. “He has to go out of town on business for two weeks. So he said he wanted me

to him while he was gone.” “What does he do?” “He owns his own business. He’s a debt counselor. He has three stores here, and he’s opening one in Cleveland.” “I must say you hit the jackpot with this one,” Colby said while getting out the bed. “It’s about time. I’m tired of dating all these losers that don’t want anything but to get in your panties. This man knows where he’s been and most definitely knows where he’s going. I’m gonna try to take things slow.” “I hope this will be a long and prosperous relationship. Girl, I’ll see you at work. I need to hop in the shower,” Colby said. “Okay, I need to do the same. I’ll see you in an hour,” Logan said and then hung up the phone. She was on cloud nine.

CHAPTER 13

Mitch got up and ran his usual miles. When he made it back home, he had a message on the answering machine. He pushed the button, and his mother was telling him she might come down in about a month or so. He smiled and went into the bathroom to get ready for work. As soon as he got to work, Clint was in his office talking to Kim. “Good morning, you two,” Mitch said. “Morning,” they said at the same time. Clint said bye to Kim and followed Mitch into his office. “So what’s going on, my man?” Clint said. “Nothing much. I had Tiffany come over to the house last night. I cooked, and we had a nice time. I said she’s a possibility.” “Well, that’s a start. Oh, I know what company we are putting the new system in.” “What company is it?” “The company is called Bello. They do a lot of customer service training. The program we wrote for them is one of a kind. We had to write a lot of different programs. We are testing it right now in the lab, and you have to do a presentation on it. So what I would recommend is that you take it home and play with it. I’ve had it for a week, and I’m pretty impressed if I say so myself. We’ve put a lot of man hours in this project. So you know this is a big contract for us. We need to nail it. I’ll be working with you for the next couple of weeks on this.” “Sounds good to me. When do we start?” Mitch said. “Hey, is that the building on the corner of Vance and Second?” “I believe it’s somewhere over there. Why?” Clint asked.

“Yesterday, I was walking behind some ladies. And, man, did they smell good. One had on some perfume I’ve never smelled before. But if I was to smell it again, I would know who she was. I believe they walked in that building.” “Maybe you will run into her,” Clint said. “Yeah, that would be something. So when are we going to get started on this thing?” “We are going to have a meeting in the lab at ten.” Both men looked at their watches and started moving toward the door. “Clint, how long do you think it’s going to take?” Mitch said. “I’m not sure. You may want to block your schedule for the rest of the day.” As they walked Kim, Mitch told her where they would be for the rest of the day. While they were walking out, Kim couldn’t help but look at their butts. What fine men, she thought as they walked her.

Colby and Logan met up at work that day, but the day was so hectic that they didn’t have time to talk. Logan was with the interview group, and Colby was on the phone all day long. By the time six o’clock came, they were both ready to run out of there. They met back up on their way out of the office on the elevator. They had started talking about their day when the elevator door was getting ready to shut, but opened back up, and Pam walked on. They all said hello, and Logan and Colby kept talking. “Colby, you better make sure you got you’re A game on tomorrow for your interview. When I say they are picking the best candidate, they aren’t playing around. I don’t think it’s going to be one of those ‘because we like you’ kind of things.” Pam tried her best to look like she wasn’t listening to them, but the expression on her face said something different. When the elevator stopped, they all got off, and Pam said, “Good luck on tomorrow, Colby.” And she walked to her car. “Yeah, you too, Pam. Did that sound like she genuinely meant it?” Colby asked Logan.

“I was thinking the same thing. Maybe you were right to kill her with kindness.” “You know I asked her to go work out with us sometime. You know she blew me off like I never said anything,” Colby said. “Only God can change a person like that. But make sure you go over everything in that handbook for tomorrow. You know I have to tell you to help you out.” “I know. I’ve been studying it for the past day or so. I’ll be ready by the time I have my interview.” “I’m not working out today. I’m tired and sleepy all at the same time,” Logan said. “Don’t worry, I’m going to the house myself.” They made it to their cars, said their goodbyes, got in the cars, and drove off.

Mitch and Clint had a long day as well. By the time they got back to their office, almost everyone was gone. They closed their office doors and headed downstairs. “I have thirty minutes to get across town to get my haircut,” Mitch said. “Do you think your stylist will be able to cut my hair? I couldn’t make it to my stylist yesterday since I had dinner.” “I’ll call her on the way to see,” said Mitch. “Why don’t I just follow you over there? If she says no, I’ll just go home.” “Okay.” They made it to the salon in record time. When they walked in, the salon wasn’t that full, so they proceeded to the reception desk. “How may I help you?” said the receptionist. “I’m here to see Lisa, and does she have an opening for my friend after me?” “She might be able to squeeze him in. Let me go see.” The receptionist walked back to where Lisa was and asked. She came back and told them both to have a

seat, and she’ll be able to do his friend. “Man, Mitch, your stylist is fine. How old is she?” “She’s legal.” “I might have to start coming here even if she jacks up my hair. I’ll just come back so she can keep fixing it.” “She’s really good. I’ve been coming here for about three years and never been disappointed.” Lisa came and got Mitch and met Clint. She brought both of them back to her station. There was an empty chair next to her, so Clint sat there. “Sorry about yesterday, Mitch. I was so swamped. My back and feet was hurting when I left work last night.” “That’s okay, as long as, you were able to get me today. I’m good. It’s a little longer than what I normally wear it.” “Yes, it is. What, you haven’t been going on dates lately?” “No, matter of fact, I had Tiffany over to the house for dinner. I had a nice time.” “Is that all just a nice time?” Lisa asked. “Lisa, that’s what I keep telling him,” Clint said to keep her talking. Mitch just sat there not saying a word. “Okay, I’ll leave that alone. Now how is Colby doing?” “She’s just fine the last time I talked to her. I’ll give her a call later tonight.” “You’re not going to say any more about Tiffany?” “No, we had a nice time, and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Mitch said as a matter of fact. “Okay then, next conversation. So, Clint, how do you know Mitch?”

“We work together in the office. He said you’ve been cutting his hair for about three years now.” “Yes, something like that.” “I didn’t make my appointment yesterday with my stylist, but I’m glad you could get me today. I actually have a man that cuts my hair. You will be the first female to put your hands in my hair,” Clint said. Lisa looked at Clint. “You mean to tell me that your girlfriend don’t rub her hands through your hair?” “Let me rephrase it. I’ve never had a female cut my hair before.” Mitch just sat there listening to them. Lisa finished cutting his hair, gave him a mirror, and turned him around so he could see the back of his hair. “All right, perfect again,” Mitch said. “Do you want me to shampoo your hair?” “No, thank you. I’ll do it when I take my shower,” he said while getting up from the chair. Lisa shook the cape and told Clint to have a seat in the chair. Mitch told Clint he’ll see him at the office tomorrow. He paid for his cut and walked out the salon to go home. Clint and Lisa had a good time; they talked about everything from sports to cars. Clint was impressed with not only the conversation, but with the haircut. “I must say you have outdone yourself. This looks way better than what my man does. Now I see why men come to women to get a haircut,” said Clint. “We cut hair like we want to see our man’s hair. How about that?” Lisa said with a smile. “That sounds about right. Looks like you just got a new client. Now I don’t come as often as Mitch, but I’ll be here every two weeks,” he said with a wink. “Thank you. Would you like me to shampoo your hair?” “Yes, I want the works.” Lisa took the cape off and led the way to the shampoo

bowl. She shampooed his hair while massaging his scalp and put some conditioner on it, then rinsed it off and brought him back to her chair. “Oh my, can I take you home and you can rub my head to put me to sleep at night,” Clint said. “I don’t think so. Your girlfriend wouldn’t like that,” she said. “You’ll make me come back every week just to get a shampoo like that.” “Look, that would be fine with me. Would you like some gel in your hair?” Lisa asked. “Whatever you think I need.” So she put some gel in and talked him into getting some hair products. Clint paid and told her he would be back next week. When he got in his car, he replayed their conversation and noticed she kept saying his girlfriend, but he never said that he had one. He’ll have to let her know that he just has a friend. Sandra won’t be happy with him, but they are always breaking up and getting back together. He never asked her if she had a boyfriend. He would make sure that was the first question he’d ask her next time.

CHAPTER 14

Colby stopped and got her something to eat before going to the house. Once she got home, she threw everything on the couch, went and put her pj’s on, because she knew she wasn’t leaving the house for the rest of the day. She went and grabbed her book off the couch and went and laid across the bed to study. She had studied for about two hours when her phone rang. “Hello,” she said. “Hi, Colby, how are you doing?” Mitch said. “I’m doing fine, and how are you?” asked Colby. “I’m doing well. It’s been a couple of days since I last spoke with you, so I thought I would see how things were going.” “Everything is fine. I’m just lying across the bed studying for my interview tomorrow. I’ve been studying for the past two days, and I’m feeling very comfortable with it.” “How about I test you over the phone?” “Are you sure?” “Yes, if you think you’re ready, let’s see.” “Okay, go for it. Now it’s for a supervisor position. First, do you have any experience interviewing people?” “Not really, but I’ve had my share of interviews and know what they want to hear. The first question is, tell me a little about yourself?” Mitch said. Colby started laughing; she didn’t believe they were actually going to go over it. “What’s so funny?” he said in a serious tone.

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect this. That’s all.” “I want to make sure you get this position. I’m all about moving to the top and helping the next person out where I can.” “I’m ready,” she said, more serious than she was earlier. “Okay, let’s start all over. Tell me a little about yourself.” Not only did he want to help her for business reasons, but also for personal gain. “My name is Colby Washington. I’ve been working with the company for about five years now. I have a bachelor degree in business management. I have held a supervisor position at my last job. I trained associates to get them certified. I also had deadlines to meet to have them trained and to .” “Why should we choose you for this position?” he asked. “I believe I can not only do the job effectively, but also ensure all customer service reps are well trained on all aspects of their job. I’ll hold weekly meetings and continual training to get us in the top ten on the Customer Service First list,” she said. “Where did you use to work at? This is not an interview question,” Mitch asked. “I used to work with Talent. Companies would send their employees who they thought were worth spending a little money on to get them to the next level at their company. I really liked it, but they would never promote me. I took over a position that they were getting ready to phase out and turned it around with a new face and new ideas. I was excellent at what I was doing, and they could see a huge difference in the from the companies. They never wanted to move me so I could advance myself. So when a position came available at the company I’m at now, I applied for it and got it.” “I am really impressed. I would tell them a little more about your other job and the accomplishments you achieved. I’m not on the interview board, but after what I just heard, you’ll be a great asset to them. Look, if they don’t give you the job, I’ll see what I can do where I work at,” he said. “Really?” she said, shocked that he would even offer it.

“Yes, I mean you’re a fresh face with new ideas. Some companies are so set in their old ways they don’t give the opportunity to the younger employees to start something that would give them an advantage in today’s business world. I have to do another presentation for a company in town. It’s a huge project. It’s a unique program just for this company. So I’ll be putting in some long hours trying to get it ready.” “Since it’s a new program, you have to know it like the back of your hand then.” “Yes, it would be crazy if I’m teaching it to the company, and I don’t know all the ends and outs about it. I have a week and a few days to get it.” “That doesn’t sound like a lot of time to learn it.” “Once you’ve dealt with a lot of programs, they all basically do the same thing. I just have to get comfortable with it. It should take about a week,” he said. “Now you have me impressed.” “Hey, whatever happened to the lady that you work with?” he asked. “Oh, you must be talking about Pam. I just try to kill her with kindness. You wouldn’t believe I invited her to go to the gym with Logan and me.” “Who’s Logan?” he asked, trying to think if she had ever mentioned his name before. “Logan is my best friend. We have been friends for a long time.” “Is that a male or female?” he asked, hoping it was a female. “Logan is a female,” she said, laughing. “What did I tell you about being jealous?” “I know, I know. I didn’t mean to pry.” “That’s okay.” Colby’s other line beeped. “Hold on a minute, Mitch,” she said as she clicked over. Mitch liked the way she said his name. Colby clicked back over and said, “Can I call you later? It’s my mom.”

“Sure, I’ll talk to you later,” he said. “Okay, bye, Mitch.” “Bye, Colby,” he said. Colby clicked back over to her mother. They don’t always see eye to eye on everything. Her mother is a Ms. Know-it-all. Colby tries to keep the conversations light, so they don’t argue the whole time. She talked to her for the next thirty minutes and hung up the phone. Just as she hung the phone up, it rang again. “Hello,” Colby said. “What’s up, girl? I was just calling to see how you were doing on studying,” Logan said. “I’m ready for it. If it’s meant for me to have it, I don’t care what Pam does, it’s mine. I’ve forgiven Pam, and I can’t keep letting her interfere with the things I want to do. She’ll have to work on herself. I won’t let her take all my power from me anymore.” “Hello, am I talking to my best friend? Colby, where did you go?” Logan said, laughing at the boldness Colby had in her voice. “Wait a minute. Did you talk to your mom this evening?” “How did you know?” “Every time you talk to her, this other person pops out. One that even makes me back up from you.” “Really now. She just has ways to try and hit every nerve button I have. I just sit on the phone while she goes on and on about the littlest things. We both have phones, so why get mad when I don’t call. I was the last one to call her. But she didn’t want to hear that. I love my mom. But, Lord, help her. You would think the older you get, the more peaceful you would be. Not with that woman,” Colby said, shaking her head. “She is still your mother, Colby. Some people wish they could say anything to their mom right now. And here you are complaining.” Logan’s mother ed

away a couple of years ago, so she was really talking about herself. “I’m sorry, Logan. I need to be grateful and stop complaining, don’t I?” Colby said. “Yes, you really do.” “Okay, the Lord is going to help me with this one too,” Colby said. “Well, I’m going to turn in early tonight, so I’ll talk to you later.” “It’s ten thirty now. What do you call early?” “Ten thirty,” Logan said, and they both started laughing. “Good luck tomorrow, Colby.” “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow with my bells on.” They said their good nights and hung the phone up. Colby thought about calling Mitch back, but it was too late. Plus she needed to get enough sleep to be fresh for her interview. She turned out the lamp, said her prayers, and fell asleep.

CHAPTER 15

The next morning, Colby woke up refreshed and ready for the day. She showered, got dressed in her black business pants suit, and took her time applying her makeup. She didn’t always wear makeup, but today would be one of those days she would. She finished putting on her mascara when the phone rang. “Hello,” Colby said cheerfully. “Well, hello, sunshine. I wanted to say good luck to you today, since I didn’t last night,” Mitch said. “Oh, you are so sweet,” Colby said softly. “I was going to call you back last night, but I thought it would be too late to call after ten thirty.” “That’s not too late for you to call. Now, if it was someone else, I might have a problem with it,” he said. “I’m glad I’m so privileged then.” “Are you nervous yet?” “No, I said my prayers, and I feel just fine. I’m ready to go get this job.” “That’s my girl. Don’t forget to tell them what you told me about the other job, and you’ll have it hands down.” “Thank you so much,” said Colby. “What have I done?” “You’ve listened, and you’ll help me land this position.” “I won’t take credit for that. It’s all you, Ms. Colby. I’m not going to hold you on the phone long, so good luck, Colby,” he said.

“I’ll call you later this evening and tell you all about it.” “Sounds good to me. Let me give you my work number just in case you want to tell me the good news before you get off of work. Are you ready? It’s 393-9843. Talk to you later,” Mitch said. They both said bye and hung the phone up. Mitch wanted to tell her about his dream he had last night—about them meeting, but didn’t get a chance to. He finished getting ready for work and left the house. He knew it was going to be a long day when he walked in his office. Clint had already told Kim to send him to the lab as soon as he got in. They had an issue with one of the programs not working right. He walked down to the lab and found Clint. “Hey, Clint, what’s up?” “One of the programs is not working the way it’s supposed to, so I have the tech rewriting it. Hopefully it doesn’t take him more than a day and a half.” “Well, how’s the other part coming?” Mitch said. “Everything is on schedule except for that one program. We can go ahead and get started on your presentation. But I do want to show you this one thing.” Mitch followed Clint over to one of the lab tables, and they sat down to look over the layout.

Colby made it to work at a quarter till eight and was sitting down at her desk when her phone rang. It was Logan calling her into the conference room for the interview. “Logan, I thought my interview was at eleven. It’s eight o’clock.” “They wanted to get started early. They said whoever was the first one in the office today would be the first one to be interviewed.” “Thank you, Lord. Do I need to bring anything with me?” Colby said. “No, we are in room 305,” Logan said. “Okay, I’ll be right there.” Colby said a silent prayer before she got up to go to

her interview. On her way to the conference room, she had to the elevator, and Pam was just stepping off it. “Good morning, Pam,” Colby said with a smile. “Morning, where are you going?” Pam said with a questioned look on her face. “I’m on my way to my interview.” “Already? But I thought—” Pam stopped dead in the middle of the sentence. Colby just looked at her with the same smile still on her face. After a second or two, Pam still hadn’t said anything, so Colby said, “Talk to you later and good luck.” And she continued to walk down the hallway. Colby walked into the conference room. There were four senior people sitting at the table when she walked in. The guy that was leading the interview stood and stretched out his hand to Colby. Colby shook his outstretched hand and shook the other senior people’s hands as well. When she got to Logan, Logan squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. After the lead guy saw she acknowledged everyone in the room, he told her she could be seated. Colby took her chair, and the interview began. She was in there for an hour or so. They asked her about every position that she had ever held. She was able to answer each question with selfconfidence. After she was asked if she had any questions, they completed the interview, and she was excused from the room. She walked out of the room feeling that she put all she had and then some in it. Logan was so proud of her friend, but she couldn’t express herself aloud. They discussed all of Colby’s answers for about thirty minutes before calling the next person in. The last person on their list was Pam. Pam had noticed something had changed in Colby as she came back from her interview. She looked more sure and confident of herself, unlike all the other times they ran up against each other. When she got her call, she practically ran down the hall. She entered the room with a smile and stepped up and shook everyone’s hand before the leader could do anything. He went ahead and offered her a seat at the table. They asked her all the same questions, but knew they didn’t want someone that aggressive training the employees. Pam’s interview lasted about forty-five minutes, and she knew she had blown it when she first walked in and didn’t wait for any instructions. She walked to her cubicle still with the same arrogance she always had. It wasn’t anyone’s business she failed this one, but she would make them all think she was the one they would pick. The group came out of the room after an hour and a half of reviewing all the applicants’ answers. They walked down the hallway to

the office, and the leader of the group said, “Could I please have everyone’s attention? I would like for everyone that interviewed to know that you all did a good job, but we needed someone that is going to take this position to the next level. It was a hard decision, and we have chosen Colby Washington to take over the supervisor position.” Everyone started clapping. Colby was in shock that she closed her eyes for a quick second and thanked the Lord for favor. She then stood and walked over to where the leader and his group was standing and shook their hands. All the other employees got up and congratulated Colby. Pam was the last person to approach her, and she didn’t want everyone to feel like she was being a sore loser, so she gave Colby a fake hug and walked back to her desk. After everyone had said their congratulations, Logan approached her friend and gave her a big hug. “I knew you could do it,” Logan whispered in her ear. “I can’t believe it,” Colby said with so much excitement in her voice she wanted to cry, but stopped herself. Logan and Colby separated as Logan followed the men back down the hallway. Colby went back to her desk with the biggest smile on her face. Even if someone slapped her right about now, she probably wouldn’t feel it, she thought. She would wait to get home and call Mitch. But she couldn’t hold it that long, so she picked up the phone and punched in his work number. “This is Mr. Harris’s office. How can I help you?” Kim said. “Can I please talk to Mitch,” Colby said in her most professional voice. “Can you hold for one minute, and let me check to see if he’s back from his meeting.” Kim put the phone down with a puzzling look. She didn’t ever hearing this lady’s voice before. She called Mitch in his office, but didn’t get any response, so she picked the line Colby was holding on and said, “I’m sorry, but he is still in his meeting. Can I take a message for you?” “Yes, please. Could you tell him that Colby Washington called, and he can reach me at 840-4892 extension 393.” “I sure will, Ms. Washington,” Kim said. She glared at the phone as she hung it up. She looked through the rolodex on the desk to see if there was anybody in it by that name. After looking three times, she placed it back in its spot. Just then, Mitch walked through the door.

“Mr. Harris, you just had a Ms. Washington call you,” Kim said as she watched Mitch’s expression on his face light up when she said her name. “Really, what time did she call?” he said. “Not even five minutes ago.” “Did she say where she was?” Kim didn’t want to give him that number, but it wasn’t her job to pick who he could and could not talk to. So she handed him the sticky note that had the number on it. He practically snatched it out of her hand as he walked into his office and shut the door. Kim wished she could be a fly on the wall to hear this conversation since he hardly ever closes the door. He picked up the phone and punched in the numbers. The phone rang a couple of times before the voice he was so used to came across the line. “This is Colby. How can I assist you?” she said. “Well, I hope you’re going to tell me some good news,” Mitch said, turning around in his chair to face the window. “I’m trying to keep my composure right about now, but it’s very hard,” she said with so much excitement in her voice. “Okay, did you get the position? Don’t keep me waiting,” he said with almost the same excitement Colby had in her voice. “Yes,” she said in a whisper, so everyone couldn’t hear her conversation. “Darn. That means I can’t get you to come and work for me,” he said in a playful voice. “No, seriously, congratulations, Colby. I knew you would get it. So when do you start?” “Thank you, thank you. I’m actually going to start clearing my desk off today. I have to go and talk to Jim before I leave today, because he’s going to help me with the transition,” Colby said. Kim had noticed he was still talking to Ms. Washington, so she decided to end that conversation as quickly as she could. She got up from her desk and knocked

on the door. Mitch turned around in his chair to see who was at the door. When he saw Kim, he motioned for her to come in. She had to think of something really quick as she walked through the door. “Mr. Harris, I hate to bother you,” she began when she noticed he was still talking on the phone. “Hey, Colby, hold on a minute,” he said as he looked at Kim to tell him what she wanted so he could get back to his conversation with Colby. “I need the Parker folder you were working on last week so I can give it to the ing office. I looked on my desk for it and couldn’t find it, because they need it by two o’clock today.” The ing department needed it, but they never gave her a time line when to get it to them. He shuffled through some papers and folders that were lying on his desk but didn’t see that particular folder. He clicked back over to Colby and told her he would call her when he got off work and hung the phone up since it was one thirty already. He got up from his desk to walk over to the file cabinet and opened the drawer to see if perhaps he had stuck it in there. Kim had sat back down at her desk knowing all along that the folder was sitting on her desk. She would wait at least for five minutes and then go tell him she had found it. She wasn’t going to let some new female come in and try to take him from her. She would most definitely Ms. Colby Washington. Kim looked through the glass to see Mitch still thumbing through the files; she felt kind of bad lying to him. Mitch was getting madder by the minute, because he couldn’t find that file. He went to his desk and punched Kim’s number. “Yes, Mr. Harris,” Kim said. “Kim, I can’t find that folder anywhere. Could you look on your desk again to see if it’s there?” he said. She could hear the frustration in his voice. “Yes, I sure will.” He sat down in his chair and put his hand over his face. It’s not like him to lose a customer file. Just then, the phone beeped, and Kim came over the line saying she found it and would be taking it down to ing right away. “Thanks, Kim. I was getting worried about that. I know I don’t misplace

folders,” he said then hung the phone up. That was a big relief, he thought. He hadn’t went to lunch yet, so he buzzed Clint’s phone to see what he was going to do for lunch. “What’s up, Mitch?” Clint said. “Hey, man, what are you going to do for lunch?” “The guys in the lab are ordering pizza. You want some?” “That’s fine. I don’t plan on going anywhere. Just let me know when it arrives,” Mitch said. “We’ll do. Oh, we have a late meeting this evening. They got the program up and running, and you know we only have until Wednesday to learn it.” “Is that going to be enough time?” “It will be since we’re going to be working around the clock until then,” Clint said. “So if you have any plans for this weekend, you might want to cancel them. I was trying to go and get my haircut from Lisa tonight.” “Oh really, I guess you liked her and the way she cut your hair. You never did tell me what you guys talked about.” “We talked about everything. She is a very outgoing person. Man, how come you never tried to talk to her?” Clint asked. “She’s just a baby. She’s cute and all, but we are not on the same level. What about Sandra?” “What about her?” Clint said. “What is she going to say about you going to a female to get a haircut and then you’re going once a week too,” Mitch commented. “You’re acting like I’m committed to her.” “Oh, now we’re changing our story about Sandra now. I thought she was the one, and you were trying to work things out with her,” Mitch reminded Clint.

“You never know what’s going to happen, so you might as well keep all options open,” Clint said with a chuckle. “Now you have options. I will leave you alone on that. They are both good ladies, so whichever one you choose, it’s cool with me,” Mitch said. “I’m glad you approve of it. We’ll see how things go with Lisa. Oh, the pizza is here. I’ll see you in the lab,” said Clint. “I’ll be down in a minute.” Mitch didn’t see Kim before he left the office, so he left a note on her desk telling her to have a good weekend. He met the guys in the lab to get started on their work and eat pizza in the process.

CHAPTER 16

Logan left her office to get Colby so they could go and celebrate since it was after six o’clock. “Hey, our new supervisor! Girl, you had them eating out of the palm of your hand. When you told them about your other job, you should have seen their faces after you left the room. They talked about you every bit of thirty minutes. So you know they are expecting great things from you now.” “Really,” Colby said, still not believing she got the position. “I have to give credit where credit is due.” “Credit to whom?” “The Lord and Mitch,” she said. “What did Mitch have to do with it?” Logan looked puzzled. “You know I talked to him last night and this morning. We did a preinterview over the phone, and then he called and wished me good luck this morning. He is so thoughtful,” Colby said, smiling. “I am really starting to like him more and more.” “But you haven’t even seen the guy. What if you finally meet him, and he’s so ugly you can’t stand to look at him. Have you ever thought about that?” Logan tried to explain. “No, I really haven’t thought about that. I’m sure he looks descent. He doesn’t sound like he’s ugly. Anyway, how does a person sound when their ugly?” Colby asked, laughing. “They sound a hot mess,” Logan said, laughing louder. “Girl, let’s get out of here. It’s time to go and celebrate,” Colby said while finishing up the last bit of stuff she needed to do. Logan started singing

“Celebration” by Kool and the Gang, and then Colby ed in. They were practically the last ones to leave the office. As they were walking out, they heard someone crying. They both looked at each other and headed to where the crying was coming from. When they turned the corner, there was Pam curled up in a little ball on the floor. They bent down at the same time. “Pam, what’s the matter?” Colby said while rubbing her back. “Don’t you touch me, you cheater,” she spat out. Colby looked shocked that she would even say such a thing. “What are you talking about?” “You two know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t act like you don’t either,” Pam said staring at both of them with hatred in her eyes. “Pam, we don’t know what in the world you are talking about,” Logan said with a matter-of-fact tone in her voice. “I overheard everything you said. How you were going to help Colby since you were on the interview board.” Now she was sobbing uncontrollably. “Pam, you may have heard part of the conversation, but you didn’t hear the whole thing. You didn’t hear the part when I told Logan I didn’t need her help, because I had enough confident within myself that I didn’t need her to help me,” Colby said. While she was on the subject, she might as well cleanse her soul. She sat down on the floor with Pam and was looking straight in her eyes. “Pam, you know all those years you tormented me and made me feel like I would never compare to you. You may not have known it, or you did it intentionally. Every time I put my name on something, you put your name on the same thing. And I never understood why you were deliberately doing that to me. I started feeling I would never win when it came to you and me. That was then, and this is now. And, babe, I’m a new woman with a new attitude. I’m confident and sure of myself and can’t let anyone take that away from me again. So whatever issue you had and maybe still have with me, I forgive you, and I’ve moved on.” Colby had soften her tone. Logan saw her friend in a new light. She was very proud of the way she was handling the whole situation. She couldn’t say anything behind what Colby had just said. Pam stopped crying and just sat on the floor in awe. She couldn’t

believe the little scared girl that she used to beat all the time has come out of her shell. “Colby, I want to apologize to you for all those years that I made you feel that way. You just don’t know how every time I tried to make my mom and dad proud of me, nothing was ever good enough. So when I saw how timid you were, I used you to make myself look and feel good. You didn’t have the problem, I did. And you’ve proved something today to yourself, and I finally realized that it’s the giant in me that has held me back from enjoying life. Maybe this is what it had to take to get me to see that I didn’t even want that job. I just did it because I saw your name on the list.” Pam wiped her tears away and stood up. She reached out her hand to help Colby up. Colby took her hand and stood up. Everyone had grown silent; each one thinking about what had just taken place. Logan had to break the silence. “Pam, we are going out to celebrate. Would you like to come?” Logan said sincerely. “I can’t go looking like this. I bet I look a mess now.” “We’ll not to hurt your feelings and all, but yeah you do look a mess,” Logan said. They all started laughing. Pam walked up to Colby and placed her arm around her. “Do you forgive me, and I’ll do everything I can to help you out in your new position,” Pam said. “Yes, I forgive you. Now go get cleaned up so I can go celebrate,” Colby said, giving her a little push toward the bathroom. As Pam walked in the bathroom, Logan had to give her friend a motherly hug. “Man, what just happened? I’m starting to like this new you. You’re not gonna take any shit off no one.” Logan patted Colby on the back with a smile. “I’m finally okay with being me and all that I have to offer. That’s all,” she said with a smile. Pam came back out of the bathroom, and they all walked out of the office together. They went to a bar and grill that was close to the office. They stayed out until midnight and had a wonderful time. They talked about everything. By

the time the night ended, they had a newfound respect for each other. Pam told them she would start hanging out with them more often. By the time Colby got home, she was ready to get under the bed. She said her prayers, thanking God for all He had done and went to sleep.

By the time Mitch got home, the only thing he wanted to do was jump in bed. He thought about Colby several times throughout the night while he was at work and wondered what she was doing. He would most definitely call her in the morning. He hadn’t talked to Tiffany, so he would make it a point to call her too, but at the moment his brain was mentally exhausted. He got undressed and said his prayers and drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 17

Mitch slept in until nine thirty. He had to be at the office at noon to go over his presentation with Clint, so he had a couple of hours before he had to leave. He got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. After he finished, he went to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. While he was cooking, the phone rang. “Hello.” “Hello, Mitch, how’s it going?” “I’m doing fine, and you?” He tried to catch the voice so he didn’t call the wrong girl the wrong name. “I was thinking about you, so I wanted to see how you were doing, and maybe we could get together later in the day,” Tiffany said. “That would be fine, maybe around four or five. I have to go into the office today, and hopefully I will be done by then.” “I thought that you had forgotten about me since I hadn’t heard from you in a couple of days,” she said. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve just been really busy at work. I have another presentation to do for this big company in town, so I’ve been putting in some long hours.” “Well, I guess I’ll let you off the hook,” she said with a laugh. “I’m glad to hear that. So I’ll call you when I get home later.” “Okay, don’t work too hard,” Tiffany said as she hung the phone up. Mitch finished cooking and eating, then he called Colby. “Hello.”

“Hey, Supervisor, how are you feeling this morning?” “I’m feeling just great, and you?” Colby said. “I’m doing fine, but I have to go to work at twelve. I have another presentation I have to do, so I’ve been putting in a lot of hours this week.” “Hopefully it will go as good as your other presentation. Do you have to go out of town again?” “No, this company is in town. I want to apologize for yesterday. My secretary had the folder lying right on her desk. What did you do last night?” “Oh, that’s okay. Let me tell you what happened before I left work last night.” Colby recounted the story about Pam. “That’s awesome. See, you have made a friend out of an enemy. If only we could do that to everyone that was our enemy,” he said. “Right, the world would most definitely be a better place. So after we talked in the office, we went to a bar and grill that’s close to the office. We sat around and had girl talk. It was really nice.” “I’m glad you got to celebrate. I was at work working like a dog, trying to get all this together. We are almost there. I think the company is going to be really pleased with our program.” “I know they will. What day are you doing it?” Colby asked. “We are supposed to do it on Wednesday or Thursday, but we’ll have it by the time Wednesday rolls around.” “I’m sure we’ll talk again before Wednesday.” Colby looked at her watch and asked Mitch, “What time are you supposed to be at work?” “At twelve. Why?” “Well, darling, you only have about thirty minutes to get there.” “Oh damn, I still have to jump in the shower. I’ll talk to you later, and hey, have

a good day,” he said, jumping up from the chair and walking into his bedroom. “You too and don’t work too hard.” “That’s an understatement,” he said, laughing. They said their goodbyes and hung the phone up. Colby didn’t have much to do today, so she was just going to hang out around the house and get some much-needed spring cleaning done.

Mitch had a long day at work, but they were able to accomplish everything they needed to get done, to be ready for next week. Mitch and Clint went over the presentation several times until it was flawless. “Mitch, you want to get a bite to eat? I’m hungry,” Clint said. “Sure, let’s meet at the Chinese restaurant on Twenty-third Street and Main.” “Okay, I have an appointment with Lisa at six thirty. So that’ll give me enough time to get over there.” Mitch looked at Clint with a smirk on his face. “What?” Clint said, looking at Mitch. “You know what? So when are you going to ask her out?” “Do you really think she would go out with me?” Clint said. He was getting all excited. “I mean I’ve never just really heard her talk about dating anyone. She just might say yes. You won’t know if you never ask her.” Mitch was looking at his friend, but never him acting so high schoolish. “Man, you look all nervous. What’s gotten into you? You really like her, don’t you?” Mitch said, looking upside Clint’s head. “I really dig this girl. I mean everything about her seems right.” Clint’s trying his best to make Mitch understand where he was coming from.

“I understand, but damn, I hope I don’t act like you when it hits me.” Both men started laughing. “It’s all good though. Let’s get out of here,” Mitch said, and they headed for the door. They stayed at the restaurant until six so Clint wouldn’t miss his appointment with Lisa. Mitch wished him good luck and told him not to be so full of nerves when he asked her out. Mitch got to his car and punched in Tiffany’s number, but her phone just kept ringing. “She won’t be able to say I didn’t call.” Since he was full, he didn’t want to go home and sit around, so he went to the mall to buy a new suit for next week. After he found a nice black suit, he headed home.

Colby finished cleaning her house and just chilled on the couch reading a book. Logan had called, but she didn’t feel like going anywhere; she told Logan she would see her bright and early Monday morning. The weekend went by fast for Colby. She did talk to Mitch a couple of times over the weekend. And Logan’s friend was coming back into town on Tuesday, so she’ll try to relax before he gets back. On Monday morning, Colby woke up early. She didn’t know if it was nerves or excitement that had her up so early. Whatever it was, she was up now and would make good use of her time before heading to work. She was able to check her emails, polish her nails and toes, cook breakfast, and then had an hour to spare. She hoped this getting up at the crack of dawn don’t last long. By the time she got to work, she had calmed down some. She met Pam on the elevator, and Pam told her how she had gone to her parents to talk to them about how she felt. “How did they take it?” Colby asked, sympathizing with her. The elevator door opened up, and they stood in the hallway talking. “You know, actually they did wonder why I was g up for so many things. They wanted me to concentrate on one thing. When they saw me trying to do so much, they thought I was trying to find myself. Go figure,” Pam said with a puzzling look. “All that I did was to try to prove something to them, but all along they thought I was nuts. Isn’t that funny?” “Wow, that is something,” Colby said, agreeing with her. “We talked for hours, and all that crazy thinking I was doing all these years was

a waste of my time. I don’t know how I’m going to get that time back,” Pam said while shaking her head. “You’ll never get that time back, but you can’t waste your future on dwelling in the past. Now it’s time to live for you, and be open to all that life has to offer you.” “Again, Colby, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. If it hadn’t been for you, I would still be in that little, no I mean big, self-pity funk trying to get my parents’ approval.” Pam gave Colby a one-arm hug. “You just never know who God will use to help you. At that time, I was your enemy, but now I’m your friend,” Colby said with a smile. “Yeah, isn’t that something? I would have never thought that would have ever happened,” Pam said in amazement. “It was nice talking to you, Pam, maybe we can do lunch one day soon,” Colby said. “That would be nice, just let me know.” The women said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. When Colby got to her new office door, they already had her name plate on the door. “I wonder what else they’ve done.” She opened the door, and her eyes got big. She saw a new desk with the accessories, computer, a nice soft leather chair, built-in bookshelves, and to top it all off, she had her very own bathroom. Colby couldn’t stop smiling. She walked over to the chair and sat down. “I could get used to this,” she said as she got up to look at the view outside her window. She peeped into the bathroom to see how big it was. “Not a bad size. I’ve been missing out on this for a long time, but now it’s my time to shine.” She had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She said a silent prayer thanking God for all that He had done to get her to this point in her life. Not only did this position come with an office, but it also came with bonus potential and a hefty raise. She walked out of the bathroom and sat at her desk. Her phone rang, and she jumped. Good thing, nobody was here to see me, she thought, then she picked up the phone. “This is Colby.” “Hey, girl, how does it feel having your own office? It’s nice, isn’t it?” Logan asked.

“OMG, Logan, I am blown away with everything. If they would have chosen someone else, this is what I would have been missing out on. I’m glad they chose me.” Logan could hear the excitement in Colby’s voice. “Well, get ready. We have a meeting in fifteen minutes in room 307. You know we are getting a new computer system, and we’ll be the first to use them. All senior people will have a meeting Wednesday and Thursday this week, so put it on your schedule. Jim will be helping you for the rest of this week and next to get you adjusted to everything.” “Okay, I need to go shopping for my own personal desk accessories today after work. Why don’t you come with me?” Colby asked. “I think I’ll be able to go. My friend should be back sometime this Tuesday,” she said and then hung up the phone. Colby grabbed a pen and a notepad before walking down to the meeting room. When she arrived, there were a few people in there. Jim had got promoted, so Colby took over his position. They talked until everyone came in. The leader introduced Colby to the group and talked about the meetings they were going to have later in the week. He also told the group they would be the first to use the new computer system. After the meeting ended, Logan and Colby decided to go out for lunch. They went to the little café on the corner. “So how did you like the meeting?” Logan asked. “It was good. How often do we have meetings?” “We come together at least once a week. It keeps you in the loop of everything. This is also when they do recognitions and let you know the reports of the week. So it’s a lot of information you’ll get each week,” Logan said. “It’s just going to take some getting used to. That’s all. I’m so excited about everything at the moment,” Colby said with a smile. “I I was like that when I first started. It’ll wear off, but enjoy it while it last,” Logan said, iring her friend. They set and ate their lunch while talking about the job. Colby excused herself to go to the bathroom to call Mitch.

CHAPTER 18

Mitch started his day out as usual. After his jog, he took a shower, fixed breakfast, and headed to work. Once he got to work, he went straight to his office. Kim was at her desk talking on the phone. When she saw him walk to his office, she got off the phone and followed behind him in the office. “Good afternoon, Mr. Harris. You had three phone calls, and I have your juice,” Kim said with the brightest smile on her face. “Thanks, Kim. Has Clint called yet?” “Yes, he said to call him when you got in,” Kim said. “Okay, I’ll be out of the office again today, so hold all my calls.” “I sure will. Is there anything that you would like for me to do while you’re gone?” Kim was thinking, I will rub your back and feet and anything else you want. She snapped out of her daze when she heard Mitch call her name several times. “Earth to Kim, earth to Kim,” he said as he was waving his hand in front of her face. “Hey, are you back?” Mitch started laughing. “Kim, you look like you just saw the love of your life. What were you thinking about?” Kim cleared her throat. “Oh my, I feel so embarrassed now.” She started laughing. “I was daydreaming again. It was a good dream too,” she said with a wink and turned on her heels to go back to her desk. She couldn’t be in his presence any longer. Mitch humped his shoulder and walked over to the desk to call Clint. He got Clint’s answering machine, so he hung the phone up and started walking out of his office when the phone rang. Kim answered it. “Good afternoon, Mr. Harris’s office, how I can help you?” Kim recognized the voice even though she had only heard it once. She looked up to see Mitch stop in his tracks to face her. She wanted to hang the phone up, but that wouldn’t look good in front of the boss, so she put her on hold.

“Who is it, Kim?” Mitch said, walking up to the desk. “I’m not sure, would you like for me to take a message?” Kim said, trying to hurry him out of the door. “No, I want you to tell me who’s on the phone, and I will decide from there,” he said, getting a little agitated with her. “Yes, sir,” she said with a slight attitude in her voice but changed it before getting back on the phone. “Can I ask whose calling? Okay, hold please.” She put her back on hold. “She says her name is Ms. Washington.” Mitch’s face lit up, and he told Kim he’d get it in his office. He walked Kim into his office; good thing, he didn’t see the way she rolled her eyes. “Hey, you,” Mitch said. “Hello, you were on my mind, so I thought I would call and tell you to have a good day,” Colby said. “Isn’t that nice of you? I must say you have made my day, and it’s just now getting started.” “Really, you’ve got a late start. I’m already eating my second meal of the day.” “Yeah, we have to get the final touches on this presentation. I knew I would have a late night tonight, so I came in late.” “I’m not going to keep you long. I need to get back to my friend who’s waiting on me,” Colby said. “And that would be Logan?” he said with a little hesitation in his voice. Colby started laughing. “That would be right. Try not to work too hard.” Kim saw he was still on the phone, so she called Clint.“Hey, Clint, this is Kim. Mitch is in his office now.” “Can I talk to him?” “Yes, you can,” Kim said with the biggest smile on her face, while putting him

on hold. Mitch’s other line beeped, and he clicked over to Kim. “Yes, Kim.” “Sorry, Mr. Harris, but Clint is on line 2.” “Tell him I’ll meet him in his office in about five minutes.” “Okay, I sure will.” Kim was a little disappointed that he didn’t get off the phone right away. “I wonder who this girl is. I’m gonna have to get some information about her. Who can I call to get it for me?” Kim said, rubbing the side of her head. She clicked back to Clint and told him Mitch would meet him in his office in five minutes. Mitch continued to talk to Colby. “Hey, Mitch, I’ll let you go. We can talk later this evening if you don’t get off too late.” “I would rather stay and talk to you, but I know we both have things to do today. If I get home before eight, then I’ll call you. Have a wonderful day, Colby,” Mitch said, softening his voice. The way he said it gave Colby butterflies in her stomach. “You do the same,” she said in her sexiest voice. They both hung the phone up. “Lord, when will I get to meet this sexy man?” she said as she walked out of the bathroom. When she got back to the table, Logan said, “Dang, girl, I thought I would have to come and get you. I thought you fell in the pot.” Logan started laughing. “I went to use the phone, girl, you know I don’t sit on any toilets,” Colby said with her face all scrunched up. “You could have used the phone at the table. Who is so important you can’t talk to them in front of me?” Logan stared at Colby. “I just called Mitch. It was too loud in here. That’s all. Don’t go get your panties all in knots. I don’t say anything when you and your friend talk on the phone. So don’t get J.” “I’m not J. I just don’t know why you had to leave the table to talk to him. Maybe I want to talk to him. I need to know who this guy is that’s making my

friend all giddy and things. That’s all. I want you to be happy. So when are you going to meet this mystery guy?” “I don’t know. You know that I just asked the Lord the same thing before I came out,” Colby said. They finished eating and paid for their meals so they could get back to the office. On their way back, Logan asked, “Has he asked to meet you in person yet?” “No, and I haven’t asked to meet him. I think if we want to take our phone conversations to the next level, that’ll be the time we meet.” “Well, don’t let me talk to him ’cause I’ll ask him,” Logan said as a matter of fact. “Remind me not to let you talk to him then. When does your friend come back?” “He told me tomorrow, so we better get your stuff after work today. You know tomorrow will be out of the question,” Logan said with a wink. They got back to work, and Jim came in Colby’s office to work with her for the rest of the day. Logan and Colby went to the office store to get all her accessories for her new office when they got off work. They got home around eight that night. Colby kept everything she bought out in the car. Once home, she decided to get prepared for the next day.

Mitch didn’t get home until nine. He hadn’t heard from Tiffany, so he decided to give her a call. He punched the numbers in, and a recording came on about the number being changed. He dialed the number again just to make sure he had the right number, but he got the same recording. “Well, I guess that’s it on that female,” Mitch said. Mitch thought about calling Colby after he looked at his watch. “She might still be up,” he said. The longer he thought about it, the less convinced he became. By the time he looked back at his watch, it was going on eleven. He would call her tomorrow morning before she goes to work. He called Colby the next morning and later that night. The next two days went by quickly for everyone. When he had talked to Colby, she wished him good luck on his presentation he had to do. Mitch woke up early on Wednesday to go jogging to clear his mind and prepare for his meeting today. After he finished

with his jogging, he went back home to get ready for work. He pulled out his navy suit and cream shirt with a matching navy tie. He hadn’t had time to get his haircut, so his hair was a little longer than he liked it to be. He checked himself in the mirror and liked what he saw. He made his way to the kitchen to fix an omelet. When he finished eating, he called Clint to see where they were going to meet at. He met Clint at the office, and they rode to the meeting together. “So do we have everything we need?” Mitch said, looking at Clint while sitting at a red light. “Yes, I checked it over twice.” Mitch noticed Clint had got a haircut. “When did you get your haircut?” “I got it cut last night. Lisa was able to take me after hours.” Clint didn’t even look at Mitch, because he could feel him watching him. “What?” Clint said. “It must be going very good with you two. She’s never stayed late to cut my hair, and I tip her very well,” Mitch said. “I got it like that. Don’t hate, appreciate,” Clint said with a smirk on his face. “I hear you, man. I take it you guys have gone out?” “We’ve been out the past couple of nights. Man, she is so much fun. We laugh the entire time we are together. Sandra and I used to fight the entire time. It’s a big difference between them two. Shoot, I’d be crazy to go back to Sandra, after I see there are other options out there. I’m as happy as a kid in a candy store.” “I’m glad to hear that. I’m happy for you. Now you see why I don’t settle for just anyone,” Mitch said. “I feel your days of being a bachelor is coming to an end,” Clint said. “And how do you know that?” “I had a dream that you got married, and you know I was the best man. I never did see her face. But, man, you were the happiest man in the world.”

“One day, that will be true. But back to you,” he said pointing a finger at Clint. “What are you going to do about Sandra?” “She hasn’t called me, and I don’t plan on calling her. We’ll just let things die by themselves. That way, there’s no hard feelings.” “You know you’re gonna have to deal with that situation,” Mitch said as he pulled into the parking garage of the building. They exited the car with all their belongings and headed for the third floor.

Colby got up feeling sexy. After taking her shower, she rambled through her closet until she found the suit that would go with her mood. She picked out a wide-leg beige pants suit that complimented her shape and added her jewelry to complete the outfit. She walked out of the house looking like a million bucks. On her way to work, she called Logan. “Hey, what’s up, girl?” Logan said. “Getting ready to leave the house. Are you at work now?” “No, I’m only ten minutes away.” “Okay, we should be there about the same time. How are you and your friend doing?” “We are doing fabulous. He brought me back a cool bracelet set. We went out last night, and I told him I was going to cook, because I don’t like going out to dinner every night.” “Well, wait until he tastes your food. You’ll never get rid of him. What do they say, a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Colby said, laughing. “You’re right about that. Where are you? I just pulled in,” Logan said, looking around to find Colby. “I just pulled in myself. I see you. I’m gonna park behind you.” Colby grabbed her bag of items and got out her car.

Logan looked at Colby and said, “Where do you think you’re going? That’s a bad suit. When did you get it?” Logan said, touching the material. “Oh yes, that’s nice.” “Thanks, you don’t think I’m overdressed?” Colby said with a questioning look on her face. “Girl, please, you’re dressed for success. They’ll just be hating on you.” “Well, let’s go so we can get this meeting started,” Colby said headed for the door to the building. They took the elevator to the third floor. Once they got off, they both headed to their own office. They had thirty minutes before the meeting started. So Colby took all her accessories out of the bag and placed them tastefully on her desk and around the room. Colby was sitting at her desk and saw a fine male walk her door in a navy suit. She just barely saw the side profile of him, by the time she got up to see who it was he had disappeared behind one of the doors. Logan came up behind her looking down the hallway to see what she was looking at. “Girl, did you see that guy?” Colby said still looking down the hall. “No, but whoever just came down the hall has on some good-smelling cologne. Come on grab your stuff so we can get to this meeting.” Colby stepped back in her office and picked up her notebook and pen and followed Logan down the hall. When they got to the conference room, there were only a couple of people in there. They all spoke, shook hands, and made small talk until Tony, the lead guy, came into the room. Two other men came behind him, and the rest of the group followed. Everyone sat down except Tony and the two men. Colby couldn’t see the men, because Jim was in the way. Once he sat down, Tony started introducing the men to each member. “I would like to introduce you to my team. Starting on my right, this is . . .” He started introducing everyone, then he came to the girls. “Logan Jenkins, Colby Washington, who just recently been promoted, and Jim Smith.” Mitch was following Tony as he introduced his team, but once he heard Colby Washington’s name, he just stared at her and forgot about everybody else in the room. Colby saw one of the guys just staring at her; she noticed he was the one wearing the navy suit that had ed her door. Yea, you’re pretty cute yourself,

Colby thought to herself since he was just staring at her. “I would like to introduce the speakers of today. This is Clint Tucker and Mitch Harris.” Colby and Logan turned and looked at each other with bucked eyes. Colby looked back at Mitch, and he was looking at her with a smile as to say, “Yes, I’m him.” They both had all kinds of thoughts running through their heads. Colby knew he sounded like a white guy, but never put any more thought into it. No, this can’t be him, she thought, but if it is, he sure is one fine white boy. Oh damn, this is the woman I’ve been talking to on the phone, and it never crossed my mind that she was black. She doesn’t even talk like it, Mitch thought. Clint picked up on Colby’s name and just smiled at his friend while he started the presentation. Mitch had to concentrate on his part because he put in a lot of hours in this. He was able to make it through until they called for a break. Everybody got up to stretch their legs and to replenish their drinks. Logan and Colby sat there talking about the situation at hand. “OMG, Colby, you said he sounded like a white guy. Girl, you were right. What are you going to do now?” Logan had thrown the challenge out there while looking upside Colby’s head. “I don’t know, wow. Wow, what am I supposed to do?” Colby was in shock. Clint and Mitch were deep in their own discussion. “Man, what are you going to do? Do you think that’s her?” Clint said. “She’s very attractive if it is. Not bad at all.” “Wow, man, what are the chances that it’s her?” Mitch said, glancing back and forth from Clint to Colby.

CHAPTER 19

Everyone started taking their seats, so that was their queue to end the conversation and start the meeting back up. The meeting went on for another three hours before they broke off for lunch. They had some food catered, so no one had to leave the room. “I can’t believe this. Who would have thought the guy that I’ve been talking to is the one that’s teaching our class. You know, I never asked him what company he worked for, and he never asked me. He does do computer programming and sets companies up for new systems. I just thought about something—he is supposed to be doing a presentation today,” Colby stated. “You mean to tell me you guys never inquired about where either one of you worked at. Looks like you will be able to hear his presentation today. That’s what both of y’all get. Didn’t I teach you any better? Never talk to a man and not know who he works for.” Logan thought it was so funny, so she started laughing. “That’s not funny,” Colby said, trying not to laugh herself. “I have to go to the bathroom.” Colby stood and headed out the door. Mitch saw Colby leave, so he got up and headed out the door as well. By the time he got out the door, he saw Colby going in the bathroom. He had gotten a whiff of Colby’s perfume and ed he had smelled that perfume somewhere before. It didn’t take him long to it; it was the day he was walking behind the two ladies on his way to lunch. He replayed that day in his head. He knew if he smelled it again, he wouldn’t forget it, and yes, he was smelling it again. Now he just had to see if this is the Colby he talks to on the phone. He would stand by the door until she comes out. He didn’t know what to think right now, but he had to know if that was the Colby that occupied his mind the last couple of months. Mitch had mixed emotions about the whole thing, so in order to figure it out, he needed to spend at least the next five minutes alone with her. Colby walked out the door and ran smack-dab into Mitch’s chest. She grabbed his shirt to try and steady herself, but Mitch caught her before she fell backward. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Colby said, not knowing who she ran into.

When she looked up, she saw the prettiest set of hazel eyes looking back at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to steady herself. Mitch held on to her a few seconds longer. Her perfume was intoxicating to him. There’s nothing like a good-smelling woman, Mitch thought. Colby enjoyed his strong masculine hands on her, but she quickly stepped out of his grasp to fix her clothes and hair. Mitch looked at her with a penetrating stare that seemed to engrave her image into his mind. “Are you okay?” Mitch said with concern in his voice. “Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t see you when I opened the door. Are you okay?” Colby asked, looking at him like he was hurt from her hitting him. “Yes, I’m fine. I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the door,” he said, putting his hands in his pants pocket. They both started to speak at the same time, which made them both laugh. Right then and there, Mitch knew that she was the Colby Washington. “Ladies first,” he said with a smile that showed perfectly white teeth. “No, you go ahead.” She didn’t want to be the first to ask the question. He stuck his hand out to formally introduce himself to her. “I am glad to finally meet your acquaintance, Ms. Colby Washington. Yes, I know who you are by the voice, laugh, and name,” he said with a wink. “And your perfume is one of a kind.” “Thank you, and you must be the one and only Mitch Harris,” she said with a smile. “Yes, that would be me,” Mitch replied. They just stood there looking at each other for a few seconds, until Mitch finally broke the silence. “What a coincidence that we meet like this. I had no idea that you work for this company,” he said still amazed. “I never did put two and two together when you said you had to do a presentation. What a small world we live in,” Colby said, shaking her head. “I’m so glad I can match a beautiful face to the sexy voice I’ve been talking to. Believe me, I am not disappointed at what I see,” he said, now leaning up against the wall with one shoulder on it and one leg crossed in front of the other one.

“Neither am I.” Feeling the penetrating gaze from Mitch, Colby said, “I think it’s time to get back.” “I agree with you,” Mitch said as he walked back to the room with Colby. He opened the door, and she walked in. Logan was talking with Clint and Tony when she noticed Colby and Mitch walking through the door. Now, that’s a nicelooking couple, Logan thought. A few more people came in behind them. Colby and Mitch ed Logan and them, but didn’t get in the conversation; they just stood there. They all sat down and ate lunch. Colby and Logan sat at one table while Mitch, Clint, and Tony sat at another. After about thirty minutes, Tony noticed that everyone had finished eating and was back in place, so he resumed the meeting. Clint and Mitch tag teamed on the presentation to get through the first day. They still had one more day here, and Mitch was glad. He liked Colby the minute he laid eyes on her. Even though he has never dated outside his race, but the possibility was there. He’s been talking to her for months now and never asked to meet her, then again she never asked to meet him. Now that they have met, what will be the next step, he wondered. Clint concluded the meeting for the day, and everybody started leaving the room. Colby and Logan headed out the door when Colby heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw Mitch looking at her, but he wasn’t the one calling after her. Clint had called her, so she went back to see what he wanted. Logan told her she would see her tomorrow, because she still had to go to the grocery store since her friend was back in town. Once Colby got to them, Clint asked her how the presentation had gone and if she understood everything. “I think you guys did an excellent job. You know I just took over a new position, so this came at the right time. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I know it will be a lot of fun since we’ll be hands on.” “Yes, it will. Mitch and I will walk around and help everyone tomorrow. So it should be more of a relaxed day. Thanks for the input, Colby,” Clint said. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” she said and turned to leave. “She seems like a very genuine person. And this is the girl you’ve been talking to on the phone,” Clint said with a nod as they gathered all their belongings and headed for the car. Once they got in, Clint turned to his friend with a serious look on his face.

“Okay, man, you know I couldn’t say it in the office, but are you okay that she’s black?” Mitch knew this question was coming. He would have to probably answer this question a hundred more times if he did choose to date her. Mitch looked back at Clint with the same look he was getting. “If I choose to date her, it will be my decision, and I won’t care what anybody will say. Dating outside my race is something that I’ve never really thought about, but if that’s the one God has for me, then who am I to say just because she’s black I’m not going to be with her. If she respects me, treats me good, and will love me for me, I don’t care what color she is. Do I make myself clear?” he said, looking at Clint daring him to say anything else. Clint got the picture, and he would stand behind Mitch’s decision. Mitch started the car and drove back to their office in silence. He dropped Clint off at his car, but before Clint got out, he turned to Mitch and said, “Whatever decision you make, just like you stood by me on my decision about who I’m going to date, I’ll stand by you on your decision.” “Thanks, man,” Mitch said as they shook hands. Clint got out and closed the door. Mitch couldn’t wait to get home to call Colby.

CHAPTER 20

As soon as he entered the door to his house, he tossed everything on the couch, kicked off his shoes, and got a drink from the kitchen to get comfortable, because this would be a very interesting conversation. He waited about thirty minutes before he called her. He looked at the clock on the wall before he picked up the phone and dialed her number. “Hello.” “Hello, Colby.” “How are you doing?” she said. “I couldn’t be better, and you?” “I’m good. Nice presentation you did today.” “Thanks, but that’s not the reason for my call,” he said as a matter of fact. This man is straightforward, I see, Colby thought. “Okay, Mitch, what is the reason for your call?” She already knew the answer before she even asked the question. “You know, I’m at a loss for words. Man, all this time I’ve been talking to you on the phone and never thought that we would meet like that?” he said, not knowing what to say. “Well, Mitch, how did you think we were ever going to meet? We’ve never asked to meet each other face-to-face. I guess you thought we were just going to talk on the phone for the rest of our lives or until one of us found someone or until we got tired of it,” Colby said frustrated. “Look, Colby, I don’t mean to make you all upset. I was just saying I would have rather met you on my own ,” he said.

“So, Mitch, when was that going to be?” she said with a little more edge to her voice. “I don’t know, Colby. You know I just . . .” He paused before he said his next words, but Colby cut him off. “You know, Mitch, I can take a hint when one is given. So you don’t have to worry about calling me anymore,” Colby said pissed off. “You know what, it was nice talking to you, but I feel we don’t need to let this conversation go any further.” Mitch had to think fast if he wanted Colby to listen to him before she hung the phone up. “Colby, wait, don’t hang the phone up. Just listen to me,” Mitch said with a more tender voice. “The more I got to know you over the phone, the more I started to like you. What, we’ve been talking about four or five months over the phone. But seeing you today and how beautiful you are makes me want to keep talking to you. I know I might be way out of line, but I don’t care about color. Even though I’ve never dated outside my race, I’m ready to take a leap of faith if you’re willing to.” Colby was so blown away with what he had said, so she just held the phone. “Colby, are you still there?” he said with concern in his voice. “Yes, I’m still here,” Colby said still with attitude in her voice. “You know I tried to imagine how you would look and when I would get up enough nerves to ask you out. But you never asked to meet me, so I just thought you would rather just keep talking on the phone. When I saw you today, I will it I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know if you were the one that I was talking to, or if you were that you would recognize me. My mind was going a thousand miles a minute. One thing I can say is your voice matches everything about you. Excuse my French, but damn, girl, you are fine,” he said. Colby couldn’t continue to be mad at him, so she said, “Thank you, Mitch. And I must apologize for the way I blew everything out of proportion. It caught me off guard, as well. I know you saw the way I looked when Tony introduced you. I’ve never dated outside my race either. I guess this will be the first for both of us. What do you think everyone will say when they see us together?”

“You know, Colby, I’m not really worried about what people say. If we choose to date, that decision will be up to us and no one else. It will be a bridge we will have to cross together. And rest assure, Colby, I do want to keep talking to you,” Mitch said that left no doubt in Colby’s mind that he was real. “I feel the same way. So where do we begin?” “Since we’ve already been talking for some months now. I say let’s start going out on dates and see where that goes,” he said. “I think that will work. I’m glad that’s behind us. Do you think we would have ever met? You know since we both didn’t ask to meet one another.” “I’m sure. If one of us would have started falling head over heels for the other it would have happened eventually. I guess we need to be thankful that it did finally happened,” Mitch said. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sure you would have been the one falling head over heels first,” Colby said, laughing trying to lighten up the mood a little. “You might be right. It doesn’t take long for a man to know when he meets that right someone.” “So do men fall in love faster than women?” “Most times, but if we feel ourselves falling fast, we usually will try to push you guys away so we won’t end up getting hurt.” “That’s dumb. See, that’s one thing I will never understand about a man. When you find someone that you really like and you think they could be Mrs. Harris or whoever, you guys push them away. That’s beyond me why men think like that. Now, as far as women are concern, we put our all in a relationship. We don’t push you away. We try to draw you in closer,” Colby said. “I know, we’re messed up,” he said, laughing. “But we’re going to get it right, isn’t that right, Colby?” “Yes, we will. We’ll write the book on it,” she said. They talked for another hour on the phone and hung up so they both could get ready for tomorrow.

CHAPTER 21

Mitch met up with Clint as soon as they got in the building the next day and went to the conference room. “What’s up, Mitch, how did last night go?” “It went very well. She is going to be a very special lady in my life,” he said with a smile. “It might look like someone has finally put my man on lockdown,” Clint said as he hit Mitch on the back. Mitch couldn’t say a word, so he just smiled. “Man, are you ready for today?” Mitch said. “Yes, I’m always ready. I’m a cut out early today. You think you will be able to handle it?” Clint said. Mitch looked at Clint. “And what do you have to do to leave early?” “I’m meeting Lisa’s parents tonight. So she has to cut my hair so I can look well groomed.” “And your butt was talking about me. Look at you,” Mitch said, pointing a finger at Clint. “Looks like she has your nose wide open,” he said, laughing. “That’s okay, and I’m loving every minute of it too,” Clint said, shaking his head up and down. “I hear you. I need to call her to see when I can get my haircut.” “Yeah, you are looking a bit shaggy on the sides,” Clint said as he pulled Mitch’s hair by his ear. “This is the longest I’ve gone without a haircut. I think I’ll call her now to see if she can cut it tonight.” Mitch looked over at Clint with a smirk.

“I don’t think so, buddy. If you’re not there by five, you’re going to be out of luck, and I don’t think this class will be over until six,” Clint said, laughing while hooking up the computer he was going to work on today. All Mitch could do was laugh. Tony walked in the room to let them know what time everybody would be there and left back out.

Colby got out of bed and did her daily morning routine. She picked something more casual to wear today. It was a deep orange blouse with beige business pants and matching jewelry. She called Logan on her way out the door, but didn’t get an answer. She must have had a long night since her friend came back in town, Colby thought. She thought about her conversation she had with Mitch last night and couldn’t wait to see him this morning. As she arrived at work and parked in her usual parking spot, she noticed Logan’s parking spot was empty. Hmm that’s not like Logan to be late or not to pick up her phone, Colby thought with worry all over her face. Let me try calling her again. She dialed Logan’s number again and got the same response. She looked at her watch. The meeting was going to start in the next fifteen minutes. She had two options: to call Logan’s office to see if she was there, or run to her house. She didn’t have time to do the last, but if she didn’t answer her phone, then she would have no other choice. “Please, Logan, pick the phone up,” she said as she dialed her office. The phone just rang. She called Pam’s line. “This is Pam. How can I help you?” “Pam, this is Colby. Have you seen Logan this morning?” Colby tried not to sound worried. “No, I haven’t seen her yet. Why, what’s going on?” “Well, she’s not answering her phone, and it’s not like her to be late for work. Can you ask Tony if she called in today? I’ll hold while you go and ask.” Colby was pacing back and forth when Pam came back on the line and told her no. Colby looked at her watch again, and five minutes had gone past. Now fear had started to take place in her. “Okay, Pam, thanks for checking.” “Is there anything you want me to do, Colby?” Pam said with concern in her

voice. “I’ll call and let you know.” Colby was frantic now. “Okay, I hope everything is going to be okay.” “Me too,” Colby said before hanging up the phone and dialing Logan’s number again. She got the same response. She went into the building and up to her office. She tried to stay calm and think of Logan’s friend’s name, but she didn’t his name. She walked into her office bathroom to take a look at herself, before going to the conference room. She splashed some cold water on her face and dried it off with a paper towel. She stood there and said a silent prayer. She looked back in the mirror before turning the light off and going to the conference room. She looked at her watch, and she only had one minute to get there. I don’t think it will look good with me walking in late and it’s all because of Logan. Wait until I see her. I’m going to give her a piece of my mind, Colby thought as she walked in the room. Everyone was there except Logan. She walked over to Tony and asked him if Logan had called, and he said no. “That’s unlike Logan not to call or miss work. I’m a little worried about her. She’s always the second person to come in,” Tony said. “I’m worried about her too. I’ve tried calling her phone since I left my house, but she never picked up,” Colby said. “How far does she live from the office?” Tony asked. “She’s about ten minutes away.” “When we take a break why don’t you run over there and see if she’s okay.” “Why don’t I go over there now? I would feel much better, especially if she’s hurt or something.” Tony hated the way Colby was looking, and he knew they had been best friends for years. “Yeah, go ahead, Colby. We’ll start the meeting when you get back.” “Thank you, Tony,” Colby said as she practically ran out of the room. Mitch saw Colby come in, but didn’t like the worry he saw written all over her

face. He wanted to hug her and take all her worrying away, but knew he couldn’t at that moment. By the time he looked back up, he saw Colby leaving the room in a hurry. He wished he could be there with her wherever she was going. Tony walked up to him and Clint to ask them if they could start the meeting fifteen minutes late. He went on to tell them what Colby had to do.

Once Colby made it to Logan’s house, she ran up the stairs with the house key in her hand. She saw Logan’s car still in the driveway which wasn’t a good sign. She put the key in the lock and pushed the door open while yelling Logan’s name. “Logan, Logan, where are you?” She ran into the bedroom and didn’t see her there. She took off toward the bathroom when she saw something on the floor in the walk-in closet. She ran over to Logan lying on the floor not moving. She knelt down over her, saying her name. “Logan, oh my god, what’s the matter?” she said as tears were rolling down her face. She rolled Logan over to look at her face. She didn’t get a response from her. Logan was lying there lifeless. Colby picked up her phone and dialed 911. While she was waiting for the operator to come on, she tried to find a pulse on her neck. “This is 911, what is your emergency?” “I found my best friend on her closet floor. She has a faint pulse. I need an ambulance at 4938 S. River Bend.” Colby tried not to panic, but couldn’t help it. Her best friend was lying on the floor, and she couldn’t do anything to help her. “Logan, come on, say something. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me,” she said close to Logan’s ear, still no response. Colby sat there on the floor praying and holding Logan’s hand. It seemed like hours had ed before she heard the sirens from the ambulance. She heard them come into the house, and she yelled for them to come in the bedroom. She stepped out of their way so they could work on Logan. They put an IV in Logan’s arm and put her on the stretcher to take her to the closest hospital. Colby grabbed Logan’s purse and locked the door before jumping in her car to follow the ambulance. While on the way to the hospital, Colby called Tony to let him know what was going on and that she wouldn’t make it back to work.

“I’ll call once they tell me something,” Colby said. “Okay, Colby, we’ll be praying for her, and keep us posted,” Tony said with worry in his voice. Tony hung the phone up and told everyone in the room what happened. Mitch wanted to drop everything and go be with Colby, but he had a job to finish. So they went ahead and got started with the meeting. On their first break, Mitch called Colby’s phone, but got the answering machine. He left a message for her to call him when she got his message. He said a silent prayer for Logan, even though he hadn’t officially met her yet. He felt like he knew her because Colby talked about her all the time. Logan’s doctor came out of her room to give Colby some news. When Colby saw him, she stood up. “You must be Colby,” he said. “Yes, I am,” she said, anxious to get the report. “Well, your friend is resting now, and we are still running tests. She was very dehydrated, so we will keep the IV going. Plus the test we’ve done so far have come back negative. That’s one good thing.” “When can I go in to see her?” “I think you might be able to see her in a few minutes. I believe because she was extremely dehydrated she probably got light-headed and ed out. Good thing, she has a friend like you to check on her. I have to make my rounds, so I’ll send a nurse out to get you,” he said as he walked away. “Thank you so much, Doctor,” Colby said with great gratitude. She looked up and said a silent prayer. Colby found her way back to her seat and picked up her phone to call the office when she noticed she had a missed call from Mitch. She listened to his message and dialed his number. Mitch was walking around the room, making sure everyone was following the proper steps on the computer when his phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Colby calling him. He excused himself and step out in the hallway. “Hey, Colby, how’s Logan?” he asked.

“She is resting right now. I haven’t been able to go back to see her yet. They said she was extremely dehydrated, and that’s what caused her to out. Mitch, I was so scared. I knew something wasn’t right when she didn’t answer her phone,” Colby said, reliving the feeling she felt seeing Logan on the floor. “I knew something wasn’t right when you walked in the room. Sorry I couldn’t be there with you, but I’ll come up there after I leave here if you want me too,” he said, wanting her to say yes. “Yes, I would like that,” she said with a smile on her face. “Your wish is my command. I’ll let you go so I can get back in the room. I’ll call you before I come to see if you want me to bring you guys anything. I’ll talk to you soon, Colby,” he said. “Mitch, I really appreciate it, and I’ll see you soon,” Colby said and hung the phone up. Just then, the nurse had come out of the room and motioned for Colby to come in. Colby held up one finger and dialed Tony’s office and left a message about Logan for him. After she hung up, she walked into Logan’s room. Logan was sitting up in the bed watching TV. Colby walked up to the bed and gave her friend a hug. “OMG, Logan, you scared the living daylights out of me. What happened?” she said with tears in her eyes. “I’m glad to see you too. The last thing I was turning off the alarm clock, going to the bathroom, and going to find something to wear to work. And then I wake up in the hospital,” Logan said in a weak voice. Colby told her everything that happened. She saw the look of worry on Logan’s face and tried to reassure her everything was going to be fine. “Do you want me to call your friend?” she asked Logan. “No, not now, maybe later when I start to feel better.” “I’m sure he’s going to be worried when he can’t reach you.” “I’ll call him later,” she said with her eyes closed.

“I thought I would have to bum-rush him. Especially if he had done something to you.” They both started laughing. “Don’t worry. That would be the last thing he would think about doing,” Logan said. Colby sat in the chair next to the bed while Logan went back to sleep.

Mitch and Clint finished the class, but promised Tony they would come back and teach Logan and Colby the program when they returned back to work. Clint and Mitch gathered up all their belongings and started walking to their car. “Clint, I appreciate you staying and helping me out. It looks like you’ll be meeting the parents without a haircut.” “That’s okay. I couldn’t just leave you like that. We came to do a job, and sometimes you have to put business before pleasure. Plus it’s the weekend, so I’ll have time for a little R & R.” They had ed a mirror hanging on the wall, and Clint stopped in front of it to take a look at himself. “Not bad, I think I’ll their inspection,” he said, rubbing his hand through his hair. “I think you will too. Hey, have fun and make a good impression. Don’t try to be overly friendly and happy-go-lucky. Be yourself, and I think everything will be just fine. Hey, look, I’m going to meet Colby at the hospital, so I’ll check back up with you later this weekend,” Mitch said as they shook hands and went their separate ways. Mitch called Colby before going to the hospital. “Hey, Colby, how’s Logan doing?” “She’s feeling a lot better. Her color has come back, and she’s eating and drinking.” “That’s good. Would you like for me to bring you anything to eat?” he said. “No, I’m not hungry. Thanks anyway. Are you on your way up here?” she said kind of excited to see him again. “Yes, give me the room number, and I’ll see you in about twenty minutes,” he said while driving. Colby gave him the room number and hung the phone up.

“I hope you don’t mind Mitch coming here,” she told Logan. “No, I don’t mind. I just texted my friend and told him, so they might get up here around the same time.” “By the way, I need some info on your friend. I don’t even know his name, and that’s not good,” Colby said while grabbing her purse to pull out a notepad. Logan gave her all the information Colby needed. They were watching TV when they heard a knock at the door. They both looked at each other and smiled, because they knew it was one of the guys. Colby got up from the chair and went to open the door. In walked Mitch. He gave Colby a hug, and she introduced him to Logan. “Hi, Mitch, sorry we have to officially meet on these circumstances,” Logan said with a stretched-out hand. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said as he shook her hand. “Sorry, we disrupted the class, so how did it go?” Colby asked. “It went very well. I’ll be coming back to teach the two of you sometime next week,” he said. “That’s so thoughtful of you to do that,” Logan said. “I want to make sure Colby is well trained for the job and you too,” he said as he winked at Colby. “I know that’s right,” Colby said, laughing. Logan was about to say something when they heard another knock at the door. Colby got up and answered it. It was Logan’s friend. He walked in and spoke to everyone. He walked over to Logan and placed a kiss on her forehead. “Hey, baby, how are you feeling?” he said. “I’m fine, baby. Let me introduce you to my friends. You probably Colby, and this is her friend, Mitch,” Logan said as she pointed to each person. “Everyone, this is Andre,” she said as she held his hand. “Nice to meet you, guys,” he said while shaking their hands. They all talked

about another thirty minutes before Colby and Mitch stood up to say their goodbyes. Colby told Logan she would call and check on her tonight as they left her room. “Are you hungry now, Colby?” Mitch asked. “I can probably go for a bite to eat. I really don’t have an appetite, but I know I can’t go all day without eating,” she said as she looked up at him. “No, you can’t. It’s not good for the body. I know a nice little place we can go. They have really good food,” he said as he led Colby out the hospital doors. “I’ll drive if you don’t mind, so we won’t have to take two cars,” Mitch said as he took Colby’s hand. “That’s fine,” she said as they got in his car. “Very nice car you have here, Mitch,” Colby said, iring his car. “Thanks,” he said in a nonchalant way. “So would you call this an official date?” he said as he glanced over at her. “No, I wouldn’t,” she said. “Now when you pick me up from my house and I’ve taken my time to get dressed, that’s what I’ll call an official date.” “Well, I’ll make sure the next time we go out, it will be just that.” He pulled up at the restaurant. He got out and went around the car to open her door. Colby got out of the car with a smile on her face. They walked to the door, and he opened it so she could walk in. Colby was very impressed. She couldn’t the last time a man opened both her doors. I could get used to this, she thought. He grabbed her hand as they walked up to the waiter’s station. “How many?” the young lady asked. “Just two,” he said as he looked at Colby. “Follow me, please,” she said. They followed her to their table, and Mitch pulled out Colby’s chair, and she sat down. He pulled out his chair and sat across from her. They ordered their food and made small talk until the food came. “Their food was really good. You picked a very good restaurant,” Colby said while pushing her plate away. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”

“When your nerves are all over the place, it’ll make you not want to eat. What would you like to do after this?” Mitch asked. “I’m a little tired. We can go back to my house and watch a movie or TV if you want.” Colby wanted to leave it up to him. “You’ve had a long day. I’ll drive you back to your car and follow you home to make sure you get there safely,” he said, rubbing her hand that was on the table. “That sounds good to me.” “Are you ready?” He motioned for the waiter to bring their bill so they could leave. Once he paid, they left to take her back to her car. While in the car, Mitch turned on his favorite jazz CD. “So I see you like jazz,” Colby said. “Yeah, it helps me to relax when I get off work.” “I like Kenny G. I got a chance to see him in concert, and he did an awesome job. I’d go and see him again if he came back.” “I hadn’t been to a concert in a long time. Shoot, I think I was in high school, if I can right. Since you like jazz, we’ll have to go to a concert when one comes,” he said. “That sounds good to me. I’m parked on the second floor,” Colby said, looking for her car. There were only a couple of cars in the garage. “I’m going to guess what car I think is yours,” Mitch said, looking at all the cars. “I don’t think you would drive a Camry. That’s more of a family car.” He slowed the car down, because there were only three more cars left. Colby sat there tickled at him. “Okay, let me see.” He stopped the car. “It doesn’t look like you would drive this Beetle. Now you look like you would drive this Mustang or that Camaro.” He looked over at her rubbing his chin. “The Mustang might be too boyish, but the red Camaro has you written all over it.” Colby was laughing by now. “You are absolutely right. Wow, they say the type

of car you drive describes the person. You know I like a little speed mixed with a little adventure. I would say you look like a BMW man. Very clean, masculine, and precise,” she said, looking at him. “That sounds about like me. You’re good,” Mitch said with a raised eyebrow. He got out his door and walked around the car to open Colby’s door. She stepped out and told him thank you and walked to her car. Mitch followed her and took her key and pressed the unlock button on the remote and then opened her door. She smiled at him while getting in her car. “I’ll follow you to your house. Okay?” he said as he closed the door and went and got in his car. He followed Colby to her house and parked in the driveway. Colby pulled in the garage and closed the door down when Mitch was in. She turned off her alarm when they walked in. Mitch closed the door behind them and Colby showed him around the house. “You have a very beautiful house. It’s so warm and cozy,” Mitch said. “I looked at ten houses before getting this one. When I first walked in it, I could see myself in it. I haven’t regretted buying it. It’s about 2200 sq ft, just enough space to add a family,” she said as they made their way back to the living room. “Go ahead, have a seat. The remote is on the couch. Would you like something to drink? I have water, milk, tea, sprite, and wine,” Colby said on her way to the kitchen. “I’ll just have a bottle of water,” he said as he turned the TV on. Colby ed him on the couch with his water. “Do you like any sports?” “Yes, I watch the NFL and some basketball. I like football better than basketball though,” Colby said. “That’s great. You’re the first female I’ve dated that likes sports. We’re going to get along just great,” Mitch said, rubbing her back. “If you keep that up, I’ll be sleeping on you before you know it,” she said, laughing. Mitch started to get up. “Where are you going?” Colby said, looking at him. “I’m going to go so you can get some sleep,” he said.

“Mitch, I don’t feel like being alone tonight.” Mitch’s eyebrow went up. Colby didn’t miss the look he had given her, so she had to hurry up and explain. “I just want to be held, if you don’t mind,” she said, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He saw the need in her eyes, and he would love to hold her in his arms. He took off his jacket and tie and laid them on the back of the chair. He unbuttoned the top two buttons and sat back down to get comfortable. “Thank you, Mitch,” Colby said as she made room for him to get comfortable. Mitch kicked off his shoes before putting his leg on the couch. He leaned back on the pillow in the corner so Colby could lay her head on his chest. Mitch wrapped his arms around her waist, and she snuggled closer to him. “Are you comfortable, Mitch?” Colby said since this is where they are sleeping tonight. “I’m fine, good thing, you have very comfortable furniture. I would fall asleep every night on this couch,” he said, rubbing her hair with one hand. “You know how to put me to sleep. I can get used to this,” she said, looking up in his hazel eyes. She saw how his eyes change with his mood. “Me too,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He wanted to taste her to see what she tasted like. Colby was surprised that he kissed her, but welcomed it. She closed her eyes, savoring the kiss. Wanting more, she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer. Mitch didn’t hesitate; he captured her mouth, milking everything out of her that she was willing to give. Colby was getting lost in him; the more he took, the more she gave. They slowly broke off the kiss. “I’ve been waiting to do that ever since I laid eyes on you, Colby. I really like you, and I hope we can take what we’ve started and make something really special out of it,” Mitch said, looking at her with so much ion in his eyes again. Colby had noticed his eyes had turned another shade of green. “Mitch, I think if we both put 110 percent in it, we can overcome every obstacle that may try to come against us. I’m willing to give it a shot,” she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips trying not to get lost in his eyes. “I would like that very much, Colby. Lay back so you can get some sleep, babe.”

He placed a kiss on her head and continued rubbing her hair. Colby relaxed up against him and fell into a deep sleep. Mitch watched her sleep until sleep took over him too.

CHAPTER 22

They woke up the next morning still in each other’s arm. “Good morning, Colby,” Mitch said. “Morning, Mitch,” she said with a smile, ing the kiss they shared last night. Colby got up to freshen up and pulled Mitch up. She gave Mitch a toothbrush and toothpaste after showing him the bathroom. They both freshened up and moved into the kitchen to cook breakfast. “Do you like to cook, Mitch?” Colby asked, hoping he was better than she was. She walked to the refrigerator to start pulling out the eggs and then shut the door. She turned to face him. “Why don’t we go and get breakfast. I’m not the best cook, you know. I can tolerate my own food, but I don’t want to put you through it,” she said, laughing leaning against the counter. “I like cooking. And my goodness, Colby,” he said, laughing, “I hope you’re not that bad.” “Yes, I’m that bad,” Colby said, laughing and shaking her head. Mitch walked up to her and placed a kiss on her forehead. Colby stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Just wait and see. Logan is supposed to teach me how to cook. OMG, let me go call her.” Colby let go of Mitch, but he didn’t let go of her. She looked up at him as to say let me go. He held her from a distance and said, “Hey, Colby, I’m going to go home and change clothes while you call and check on Logan. I’ll be back to get you so we can get breakfast,” he said before he captured her lips and just as quickly he released them. Colby touched her lips with her hand as she watched him walk out of the kitchen. He grabbed his jacket and tie off the chair and found Colby right where he left her at. He gave her a quick kiss, told her bye, and opened the door to the garage. “Come and close the garage door down, Colby,” he said, not wanting to look back at her for he knew if he turned to look at her he wouldn’t be leaving right away.

“Okay, Mitch,” she said, going over to the door to see him out. “I’ll see you in about an hour or so,” Colby said before she closed the garage. Mitch got in his car and drove off toward his house. Colby went back in the living room to call Logan. She picked up the phone and dialed her number. She picked up on the third ring. “Hey, honey,” Logan said after seeing who was calling. “You sound like your back to your old self.” “I feel so good. I was in bad shape, girl. They have me on a high liquid diet. I wasn’t getting enough liquids in me, but they don’t have to tell me twice. This whole ordeal has taught me a lesson. I don’t like hospital and doctors, so in order for me not to see them, I’ll do everything I can to stay away from them.” “So when are you coming home?” “I should be home sometime today. My doctor has to release me,” Logan said. “Is your friend coming up there?” “Yes, I just got off the phone with him. He’ll be bringing me home.” Logan knew she should have called Colby, but now that they both have guy friends, they probably won’t be spending a lot of time together. “Logan, why didn’t you call me? I would have come up there to take you home,” Colby said, sounding sad. “Colby, don’t sound like that. I just thought—” Colby cut her off. “You thought what, Logan? You know if you want me to, I’ll be there. As a matter of fact when Mitch and I get done from breakfast, I’ll be up at the hospital. Now say something.” Colby dared her to oppose. “You can bring your little butt up here if you want to, but my man is taking me home. Now you say something,” Logan replied. “Oh, how dare you talk to me like that, Logan? I’m your best friend, and you’d rather have him take you home and not me. My feelings are hurt. I can’t believe

you. Is this how you’re going to treat me when you get a man?” Colby said, still feeling a little hurt. “Colby, I know you’re not for real. Are you?” Colby didn’t say a word. Logan hadn’t realized that she was for real until she didn’t say anything. “Colby, come on, say something.” “Yes, I’m for real. Where was his butt when you were lying on the floor? Who’s been there for you all this time? He waltz his butt in here, and it’s forget all about Colby,” Colby said clearly pissed off. “Look, Colby, don’t go there with me. He’s not going to come between us.” Logan knows Colby can get a little too emotional on some things, so she would have to watch what she says. “It looks like he already has,” Colby stated. “Fine, Colby, you can take me home. I don’t see what the big deal is.” Logan finally got tired of arguing with her and gave in. “If you don’t want me to pick you up, I won’t. If you’d rather have him to do it, then go right ahead,” Colby said, feeling defeated. “Girl, did you not hear me?” Logan said frustrated. “Okay, I’ll have him take me home. Colby, why do we have to go all around the world when we discuss things for you to understand?” “Because I want my way, that’s why. I’ll stop trip’n. But you have to it, if the shoe was on the other foot, you would be upset too.” “Probably so, but damn, Colby, give a girl a break. So you’re okay with Andre taking me home?” Logan wanted to make sure just in case they were both up there at the same time, there wouldn’t be any confusion. “Yes, I’m fine with it.” Colby looked at her watch and realized an hour had gone . “Oh shoot, I’m not even dressed. Mitch will be here shortly. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Now who’s leaving who for their friend?” Logan started laughing and shaking her head. “I know right, bye. Love you, see you shortly.” Colby hung the phone up and ran to the bedroom to get ready. Colby barely made it out of the shower when she heard the doorbell ring. She didn’t want to answer the door with just a towel wrapped around her, so she found her robe and put it on. She went to the door, and Mitch was standing there with blue Levi’s on with a white shirt holding a dozen of pink roses. She got the biggest smile on her face and got the key to open the storm door. When she opened the door and Mitch saw what she had on, his breath got caught in his throat. “Come on in, Mitch,” Colby said excitedly. She stepped aside so he could . “Are those for me,” she said, pointing to herself. “You know they are. I thought this would put a bigger smile on your face like the one I just got,” he said, touching the bottom of her chin with his thumb and pointer finger. He placed a kiss on her lips and then handed her the roses. “Thank you so much. They are very pretty. Let me go put them in some water.” Colby headed for the kitchen to get a vase. Mitch followed her, but kept his distance. He knew if he followed her any closer, the robe would be coming off, and he wanted to take things slow, so he stopped at the kitchen counter. Colby filled the vase with water and put the roses in tastefully. “I’m sorry I’m not ready, but Logan and I were on the phone for an hour. After we finish eating, can we go and see her?” Colby asked, walking closer to him. “Sure we can go and see her. When is she getting out?” Mitch said, trying to keep his eyes on her face, but it was getting harder and harder to do since she kept walking toward him. Mitch stopped Colby from coming any closer to him. “Colby, if you come any closer to me, I don’t think we’ll be going to get breakfast nor to the hospital today.” Colby looked down at what she had on and tightened the belt on her robe. “Let me go get dressed so I won’t tempt you,” she said, brushing by him. “Yes, that’s a good idea,” Mitch said as he tapped her on the butt. It didn’t take

Colby long to get dressed. After she finished, they went and got something to eat and then went to the hospital. By the time they got to the hospital, Logan was already dressed and still waiting for the doctor to come in to see her. They were all talking when the doctor finally came in to release her. Andre came in ten minutes before the doctor came in, which didn’t sit well with Colby. Colby tried to be as polite and friendly to Andre as possible. She doesn’t care too much for him. She thinks he tries to buy Logan with all the gifts he gives her. But she would keep that thought to herself, because she doesn’t want Logan to think she doesn’t like her friend. She’s hoping that her intuition is wrong about him. Only time will tell, Colby thought. “So, girly, are you ready to get out of this place?” Colby said excited for her friend. “Yes, it’s been real, but I gotta go,” Logan said, picking up her purse and walking toward the door. Colby wasn’t sure who was going to take her home. Well might as well get this over with, Colby thought. “Logan, who are you riding with?” Everybody stopped and looked at Logan. Logan looked at Colby then at Andre like she couldn’t make up her mind. “Andre, won’t you take Logan home, and we’ll stop by later to make sure you are okay,” Colby said as she winked at Logan. “Okay, we’ll stop by the store and get everything she needs before I take her home,” Andre said. “Okay.” Colby hugged Logan, and they all left the hospital.

CHAPTER 23

“S o, Mitch, what do you think about Andre?” Colby asked. “He seems okay. It doesn’t seem like you like him though,” Mitch said as he glanced over at Colby. “I don’t know, something doesn’t seem right about him. I hope I’m wrong about it. And I don’t think I would be able to express my concerns to Logan at this time,” Colby said with her head down. “Then the only thing you can do is be there for her if anything was to go wrong in their relationship,” Mitch said as he put his hand on her leg. “Thank you, Dr. Phil,” Colby said, laughing as she rubbed his hand. “Anytime I could be of service to you,” he said in a Dr. Phil voice. They both cracked up laughing. “You know you are so easy to talk to. Even when we first started talking on the phone, it felt like I had known you for years.” Then Colby turned in her seat to look at Mitch. “Did you ever get in with the female you were meaning to call when you called my number?” Mitch could feel Colby staring upside his head, so he knew he had to answer her question. “I did run into her again at a gas station,” he stated as he glanced at Colby to see the expression on her face. He went on to say, “She did give me her number, and we went out a couple of times. That’s about it.” “What happened, you guys didn’t click?” Colby asked. “She was fun to hang around. But no, we didn’t click like the way you and I do,” Mitch said while looking Colby in the eyes. Colby had noticed his eyes had changed another shade of green. Colby didn’t know if she was starting to push the wrong button when she asked that question.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. That’s her loss and my gain,” Colby said as she winked at him. “So, Mitch, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Colby asked. “How about we go for a walk and have a picnic in the park?” “That sounds very romantic. What are we going to take on our picnic?” “We’ll go to the store and pick up some fruit and a salad. I like to eat healthy. I do splurge a little sometimes, but I try not to do it that often.” They stopped by the closest grocery store, and while they were in the produce department getting some grapes, he looked up and saw Kim across the table. “Colby, I see my secretary. I want you to meet her,” Mitch said. “Okay, I’ll be right over. I’m going to pick up a mango over there,” she said, pointing to the next table. Mitch walked around the table where Kim was. “Hey, Kim,” Mitch said. “Hi, Mitch,” Kim said with the biggest smile on her face. “How have you been?” he said. “I’ve been fine, just missing you in the office. It’s been quiet all week. How did your meeting go?” Kim asked. “It went good. I’ll have to go back again one to two days next week and train a couple of people who wasn’t there the last day of it. Do you know if I have any days opened on my calendar?” Just then, Colby walked up to them, and Kim looked at her like she was lost. “Can we help you?” she asked Colby with an attitude. Mitch started laughing and put his arm around Colby’s waist. Kim saw where he put his arm and wasn’t the least bit happy about it, but kept a tight smile on her face. Colby didn’t miss the fake smile that went along with the cold welcome she received from Kim. “Kim, I would like for you to meet Colby Washington. Colby, this is my secretary, Kim.” Colby reached her hand out to shake Kim’s hand. Kim halfheartedly shook Colby’s hand.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Kim,” Colby said with a smile already knowing Kim doesn’t like her. “Yes, me too. Now I can put a name with a face,” she said with the same fake smile. Mitch hadn’t noticed the exchange between the two women. “So what are you two doing today?” Kim said looking back and forth from one to the other. Colby didn’t want the perfect opportunity to her by, so she rubbed Mitch’s arm and stepped closer to him with a big smile on her face while resting her head on his shoulder. “Mitch is taking me to the park to have a quiet picnic. Isn’t that so romantic?” Colby said, looking up at Mitch, and he was looking down at her. Kim looked at Mitch, and he had the same big silly grin on his face that mirrored Colby’s. Kim rolled her eyes she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Well, don’t let me stop you guys from your picnic.” Kim tried to sound happy for them. “Mitch, I’m going to the office later so I can call you and let you know about next week’s schedule.” “That’s okay. I’ll be in the office Monday morning, and we can go over it then. I don’t want you to have to take time out of your day to do that. Enjoy your Saturday, Kim, and I’ll see you on Monday,” Mitch said. “It was nice meeting you, Kim, and enjoy your day,” Colby said as she dropped the mango in the basket Mitch was holding. “You guys do the same.” Kim turned on her heels and tried to get as far away as possible. Kim was hurt that he chose a black woman over her. “She was pretty, but I’m just as pretty, and I can make him happy,” she said already plotting against Colby. “Kim is a good secretary. She keeps me on my toes. I don’t know what I would do without her,” Mitch said. “I don’t think she likes me,” Colby stated. “She just needs to get to know you. That’s all,” Mitch said as he squeezed her hand and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Yeah, right, Colby thought as she smiled at him.

Kim watched them from a distance how they interacted with each other. The more she watched them, the madder she got. She hurried up and checked out after she saw Mitch kiss Colby on one of the aisles. Colby and Mitch checked out and had a wonderful time at the park. Colby called Logan on their way to Mitch’s house to see how she was feeling. Once they got to Mitch’s house, Colby looked at him and then back at the house. “This is a big house. And you’re the only one that stays here. Wow, how many bedrooms does it have?” Colby asked still amazed. “It has five bedrooms, media room, office, and four and a half baths. It’s over 2900 sq ft. I’ll show you around when we get in,” he said as he pulled into the garage. When they got out, he showed Colby all around his house including the deck in the back. “This is a gorgeous house from front to back. All you need now is a wife and kids,” she said. “I’m working on it,” he said with a wink. All Colby could do was smile. He escorted Colby into the media room where he turned on the 50” flat screen. They relaxed on the couch with Colby resting up against him. “You have some long pretty hair, and I like the way it feels,” Mitch said as he rubbed her hair. “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I guess I don’t need to cut it,” she said. “Cut it, no don’t cut it. I like women with hair. As a matter of fact, I need to get mine cut. I wonder if Lisa is there today. If she is, do you want to go with me?” Mitch asked Colby. “Sure, I’d love to,” she said. Mitch pulled his phone out of the pouch and punched the salon number in. “Thanks for calling You Look Better Now. How can I help you?” “I was wondering if Lisa had any available appointments today.” “No, she is all booked up. Can I schedule you for next week?” “Can you call her to the phone please?” Mitch asked.

“Sure, can I ask who is speaking?” “Mitch.” She put him on hold while she went to get Lisa. “Hey, stranger, and where have you been?” Lisa said with excitement. “I’ve been busy. She said you were booked today, but can I be your last one for the day?” Mitch said, hoping she would say yes. “I got you. Come in around four thirty. I’ll see you when you get here,” Lisa said, hurrying to get off the phone. “Thanks, Lisa, I’ll see you then.” Mitch hung the phone up and gave Colby all his attention. They relaxed on the couch until it was time to go and get his haircut. “Do you want a snack or something before we leave?” he asked Colby. “No, I’m good,” she said. “Okay then, are you ready?” Mitch said while getting off the couch and pulling Colby up with him. Colby hugged him around his neck. “You know, I’m so happy we met and established a relationship over the phone first before we take it to the next level,” Colby said, looking into his hazel eyes. “Me too, baby,” Mitch said before capturing her lips. He kissed her long and hard. He wanted to show her how much he wanted her. Colby looked at him in his eyes, as if to say, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” They both knew the answer that was asked silently to each other. Mitch smiled and winked at her before giving her another quick kiss.

CHAPTER 24

They walked in the salon, and every female had their eyes on him. Colby felt good that all eyes were on her man. “Good thing, I’m not a jealous woman, because I would have to tell all these heifers to stop looking at my fine man,” Colby said, laughing. Mitch liked the way Colby was being overprotective of him. He never had a female to want to stake claims on him; they always wanted him for his money or what he could do for them. He was proud of her and would do anything for her. They took a seat until Lisa was ready for him. Lisa walked up to the front. “Mitch, where have you been?” Lisa said. “I’ve been busy. You know I used to come twice a week sometimes.” “I know, and who do we have here?” Lisa said while looking at Colby. “Hello, I’m Colby,” Colby said as she stood to shake Lisa’s hand, and Mitch stood as well. “It is so nice to finally meet you. I have heard a lot about you. Mitch, you didn’t say she was this pretty,” Lisa said as she shook Colby’s hand. Colby gave the biggest smile as she looked at Mitch and then back at Lisa. “She is beautiful,” Mitch said as he winked at Colby. “Are you ready?” Mitch asked Lisa. “After you. We have so much to talk about,” Lisa said walking back to her chair. “Yes, we do have lots to talk about starting with you and Clint. I didn’t know you guys were going to hit it off right away. He’s a really good guy. How did it go with him meeting your parents?” Mitch said. “Oh my goodness, my parents just loved him. I’m so glad you brought him here

to get his haircut. We have been inseparable ever since. I thought talking to an older guy would feel funny, but we have just as much in common as the young guys I’ve talked to. Actually, I’m having more fun than I’ve had with any guy I’ve dated,” Lisa said as she cut Mitch’s hair. “I’m glad you have found someone that makes you happy. That’s the way I feel about Colby,” Mitch said, looking at Colby in the mirror. “You didn’t tell me she was black. I mean it’s cool and all,” Lisa said as she thought about what she had just said. “Mitch, I didn’t mean to say that.” She stopped cutting his hair and turned him around in the chair to face her. Mitch’s eye’s turned a cold gray. Lisa knew then that she better fix it before she loose not only a client but a good friend too. “Look, Mitch, I overstepped my boundaries. I’m so sorry for saying that. I didn’t think you would have talked to a black girl. But if she makes you happy, then I’m all for it,” Lisa said in her most sincere voice. “I’m glad I don’t pay you to think, but to cut my hair. Just like I told Clint, whoever I choose to date is my prerogative. I don’t choose who you talk to nor do I want anyone telling me who or what color of person I can date. I hope we don’t have to have this conversation anymore. Now if I need to get a new stylist, you need to let me know now,” Mitch said, looking into Lisa’s eyes, letting her know he wasn’t playing. “Mitch, I’m sorry. You are absolutely right. Color shouldn’t matter. All the other girls you’ve talked to were white, and they treated you awful. I hope Colby treats you like you deserve to be treated. I don’t want you to go anywhere else to get your haircut. Can’t anybody cut your hair like me,” she said, trying to lighten up the mood. She turned Mitch back around so she could finish cutting his hair. Mitch knew he would have to put almost all the people he associated with in their places. So he might as well start with his closest friends. He didn’t understand what the issue was about dating outside your race. He stayed silent until Lisa was finished with his hair. She gave him the mirror and turned him around to look at the back of his head. “Very nice, thanks, Lisa,” he said as he waited for her to take the cape off. Once she took the cape off, Mitch got up from the chair and walked to the front to pay. Colby saw the expression on his face which told her the conversation they had

back there wasn’t a pleasant one. Colby stood when he reached her and followed Mitch up to the desk and rubbed his back. Lisa came to the front desk also. “Colby, it was nice meeting you, and any friend of Mitch’s is a friend of mine. Mitch, I’ll see you the next time you come,” Lisa said as she turned and walked away. Mitch and Colby walked out of the salon, and he opened the car door for her to get in. Colby waited until Mitch got in before she would ask him what happened. He got in the car. “Do you want to talk about what happened in there?” Colby said as she turned in her seat to face him. Mitch put both hands on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. He turned and took Colby’s hands. She noticed his eyes started changing back to a hazel. “Colby, it seems that everyone has an issue with me dating you, because of your color.” He noticed Colby didn’t move or stop staring at him. “I knew this would come up with some people, but to have to explain it all the time is ridiculous. I don’t care what anybody thinks or says about me dating you. It’s my choice, and I’m happy to have you in my life. I think we are good for each other,” Mitch said in his most caring voice. “Mitch, as long as both of us agree, then we won’t let what others say stop us from being together. I’m sure we’ll get more questions and stares from people that don’t agree with us dating,” Colby said, rubbing his hand. “I know, baby. It just pisses me off though,” Mitch said still fuming over it. “I know you can’t stop people from thinking that. We just have to pray for them and ourselves. I’m sure once our friends and family get used to us, it will all be a thing of the past. It’s going to be okay, baby,” Colby said as she freed her hands from his and touched both sides of his face. He kissed her with so much ion it shook both of them to the core. She felt his pain and wanted to do whatever to take the hurt out of his eyes. His eyes were a cloudy gray at the moment. Colby was starting to recognize the different shades of color his eyes would turn with each mood. “Let’s go back to my house,” he said as he started the car. “I like your haircut. Lisa did a really good job on it,” Colby said, trying to

change the subject. Mitch looked in the rearview mirror at his hair. “Yes, she does a good job. I told her if she had a problem with you and me, I would find another stylist to cut my hair.” “Mitch, you told her that,” Colby said shocked that he would change stylist because of her. “I sure did. She changed her attitude real quick too,” Mitch said. “Baby, you would really do that?” Mitch shook his head. “Oh, baby, that’s so touching.” Colby put one hand on her chest. “Girl, I would move the world for you,” he said as he rubbed the side of her face with the back of his hand. They drove the rest of the way back to Mitch’s house in their own thoughts. Once they got to Mitch’s house, he opened her door like always, and they stayed in the kitchen to cook dinner. After they ate, they walked around the block to enjoy the rest of the evening. “So, baby, what would you like to do for the rest of the night?” he asked while walking back to the house. “Since it’s so nice outside, can we sit outside on the deck sipping wine and listening to some nice jazz?” “That’s why I’m falling head over heels for you. You are so simple.” He pulled her close to him and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. They got back to the house and gathered up everything to sit on the deck. They chilled on the deck and enjoyed each other’s company until midnight. “Are you ready for me to take you home now?” he said. “Not really, but I know it’s best.” “You can stay. I promise I won’t bother you, even though you will be hard to resist,” he said, stepping close enough to her to smell her scent. “And then you have on my favorite perfume. What kind of perfume do you wear?” “I wear lotions. They seem to last longer on me than perfumes do. Do you like it?” she said as Mitch started smelling her neck. She started laughing when he

went to the other side of her neck and did the same thing. “Do I, it’s driving me crazy,” he said, placing light kisses on her neck. “I’d tell you to stop, but it feels too good,” Colby said in a whisper. The wine and music had set the mood right for them. One thing led to another; and the next thing she knew, her shirt was off, and she was taking off his shirt. She had always wondered what it would be like to be with a white guy, and now it looks like she will finally find out. They feed off each other all night, giving and taking from each other what they needed. They spent most of the next day in bed. They only got up to nourish their bodies with food. Later that evening, Mitch took Colby home after tasting her one more time. As he pulled up at her house, he couldn’t stop touching her. Colby was enjoying every minute of it. “Well, baby, I have really enjoyed our weekend together. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend with you,” he said as he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Me too,” she said still having butterflies in her stomach every time he touched her. He got out of the car and opened her door to help her out. They walked to the front door, and he took the key to open the door for her. As they walked in her house, the phone was ringing. She turned on a light and went to answer the phone. Mitch stood there iring his lady as she talked on the phone. She talked for a few more minutes and got off the phone. “That was my mom. She’s supposed to come visit me for a couple of days next week,” she said. “That’s great. I can’t wait to meet her,” Mitch said with excitement in his voice. “My mom and I don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. We’ve never been really close. She still tries to run my life and gets mad when I don’t do as she says or take her advice. It’s crazy, but you’ll get a chance to meet her,” Colby said as she shook her head. “Hey, baby, we’ll take it one step at a time. That’s all we can do.” He pulled Colby in his arms and just held her for a few minutes. Colby could stay this way forever. He released her and said, “Come on, baby, let me out so we can get ready for tomorrow. I’ll have to check my schedule to see what day I’ll come to your job and show you and Logan the new system.”

“Do you think we will be able to be around each other without touching?” “It will be hard. Just don’t wear that lotion,” he said as he nipped at her neck. Colby started laughing. “Okay, don’t get nothing started now,” she said, enjoying it. “Look what you do to me,” he said as he put her hands on his manhood. “Wow, do I need to take care of that before you leave?” she said with one eyebrow raised. He didn’t give her a chance to think about what she had said before he found her bedroom. Mitch stayed and headed home early that morning.

CHAPTER 25

Logan hadn’t talked to Colby the whole weekend, so when she saw her in the office, she knew something was different about her. “You didn’t even call a sista this weekend to check on me. With that glow on your face, I see why,” Logan said with a hand on her hip. “Am I really glowing? Girl, Mitch rocked my world. I never knew how much a man would do for a woman he really likes.” Colby told her what happened at the salon and the whole weekend. “That’s why you were tied up all weekend. I’m not mad at you. It’s time for you to start enjoying the opposite sex. Okay, I only have one question.” Logan looked around to make sure no one else was around them. “You have to tell me if his stuff compares to the brothers.” Colby wasn’t surprised at Logan’s question. “You know what they say, look at the length of a guy’s finger, and it’ll tell everything that’s below,” Colby said, laughing and shaking her head. “I thought the shoe size was it,” Logan said. “No, ma’am. The shoe size is a lie, but the fingers tell it all,” Colby said, pointing to her hand. “I’m gonna have to see. You know, now that I think about it, you’re absolutely right. My friend has some long hands, and it most definitely matches down below. I guess I’ll have to see what size of hands you’re working with,” Logan said as she nudged her with her elbow. “Don’t look too hard.” “He won’t know what I’m looking at. I’ll just sneak a peek.” Logan pretended like she had looked at his hands.

“Girl, you are crazy. Let’s go see what Tony wants.” They walked to Tony’s office still laughing and talking.

Kim was at her desk when Mitch walked in. “Good morning, Kim,” Mitch said with a bigger smile than usual. “Good morning, Mr. Harris,” she said barely looking up from her computer. “How was your weekend?” Mitch said, leaning up against the desk. She really didn’t want to discuss her weekend with him, especially after seeing him with Colby. “It was good,” she said nonchalant. She wasn’t going to ask about his weekend. “So what do you think about Colby?” Mitch said with the same silly grin on his face. She had to think about the question, before she answered him. She looked at Mitch. “She seems nice.” That’s all he was getting out of her. Mitch half listened to Kim before saying, “She is wonderful. Everything about her is exquisite. You know, Kim, I haven’t met a woman like her before,” Mitch said, looking off in space. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Harris,” Kim said with a fake smile. “I have to go to the restroom. If you’d excuse me.” She got up because she didn’t want to hear anything else about that woman. “Sure, I’ll talk to you about my schedule when you get back.” He walked into his office. He heard a knock at his door and turned to see who it was. Clint was standing there with a cup of coffee in his hand. He motioned Clint to come in. Clint walked in and set in a chair in front of his desk. “What’s up, man? You’re looking well relaxed. You must have had a great weekend,” Clint said, sipping his coffee. “It was excellent. Colby is amazing. Man, she is so simple. She’s not out to get what I have or trying to use me. She’s genuine,” Mitch said, ing the weekend they had shared together. “That’s great, Mitch. You deserve some happiness. Look, Lisa told me about the

conversation you guys had. I told her you were my boy, so who you date and if they make you happy regardless of color makes me happy. What really got her was when you told her you’d find another stylist if she had a problem with it. Don’t you think you took it a little too far?” Clint said. Mitch was not going to go through this again with Clint nor Lisa. He got up from his chair and walked to the window before he said anything. Clint knew at that moment he overstepped his boundaries, so he got up from his chair as well. When Mitch turned around, his eyes were a light gray. He came back to his desk and put both hands on it and looked at Clint. “Haven’t we already discussed this matter? When does my personal business become everyone’s concern? Like I told you and Lisa, who I choose to date and who I cut ties with is my choice. Keep this shit up, and you two will be the first to go. I don’t see what the big deal is. I could see if I was dating another man. Now that’s a big deal. But that shit won’t ever happen. It’s not us with the problem. It’s everybody else who has the problem. Colby isn’t going anywhere, so get over it and move on. And no, I don’t think I took it too far. She had the audacity to even say some bullshit like that.” Clint had to calm Mitch down, because his voice was getting louder and louder. Kim was listening to every word that they had said since they left the door open. “Calm down, Mitch. I’m sorry I even brought it up. I can tell you have strong feeling for Colby, and I would feel the same way if I was in your shoes. Okay, I won’t bring this matter up anymore.” “No, let’s get it all out now, because if we have to bring this matter up again, it’s not going to be pretty. So do you have anything else you would like to talk about dealing with my life?” Mitch stared up at him with a look that could kill. Clint saw the look and decided not to take it any further. Kim sat in her chair in a daze. All that she heard and saw with the way Mitch had responded to Clint, his best friend, she knew she better not even attempt to mess with this relationship. So all the plans she was going to do went out the window. She started back to work, but still listened to their conversation. Mitch took a seat at his desk and tried to calm himself down by counting backward from thirty. Clint didn’t move from where he was. He’d never seen Mitch get so emotional about anything, so he knows bringing anything up about Colby would be like walking on thin ice. He respected his relationship with Mitch, because they were like brothers. He also

waited until Mitch cooled down before he started talking about business. Mitch was back to himself, so they were able to look over the notes from the lab for their next project. “Mr. Harris, Tony is on line one, he wanted to know when you will be coming back to teach the two ladies?” Kim called over the intercom. “Tell him to give me a day and time, and I will be there, Kim.” “You know you have to go out of town on Wednesday for a meeting?” “Is it on my calendar, because I don’t see it?” Mitch said as he was looking at the calendar on the computer and then the one that was on his desk. “You are supposed to go back to Atlanta,” Kim said. “Kim, I don’t see it. When did you book it?” “I booked it two weeks ago,” she said a little nervous. “Well, why are you telling me now?” Mitch was getting frustrated. “I . . . I . . . I thought I told you. I’m sorry, Mr. Harris. What would you like for me to do today?” Kim said, feeling really remorseful. Mitch shook his head and rubbed his hand over his face. “Tell Tony I need to do it first thing in the morning, so I’ll have time to go over some notes. I need to speak to you in twenty minutes, Kim,” Mitch said not pleased at all with her. “Yes, sir.” Kim knew she had messed up. She had a plan to try and make him feel better though.

CHAPTER 26

Colby and Logan were in Tony’s office for an hour. He went over everything they missed on Friday and welcomed Logan back. He told them Mr. Harris would be there first thing in the morning to go over the program with them. After the meeting, they both returned to their own office and started to work. Colby was still trying to adjust to her new position when she heard a knock at her door. She couldn’t see who it was, so she went ahead and invited them in. Pam walked in with a big smile on her face. “I hadn’t had a chance to come and see your office and congratulate you again. This is a very nice office,” she said as she turned to look around the office. “I’ll have to buy you something to put on your bookcase.” Colby got up from her chair and walked around the desk to give Pam a hug. She then had to what their relationship was not too long ago. “You don’t have to. I went out the other day and got a few things.” They both sat down in the wing chairs. “So how have you been doing?” Colby asked. “I have been doing terrific,” Pam said with a huge smile on her face. “Well, it looks and sounds like it. So who or what put that big smile on your face?” Colby asked, smiling herself. “Oh my goodness, Colby, ever since we had that talk, it seems like everything in my life has done a 360. We’ll have to do lunch, because it will take every bit of an hour and then some to tell you. I just want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” She patted Colby’s leg. “Oh, and guess what?” she said, looking at Colby with excitement. “What?” Colby said feeling a little excited too. “I’m going to be on your team,” Pam said as she jumped up out of the chair. “Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Really, I’m glad to hear that,” Colby said as she ed Pam. There was another knock on her door, so since she was already standing, she went and opened the door. Jim walked in carrying five books in his arms. “Let me help you with some of them,” Colby said as she took two books out his arms. “Hey, Pam,” Jim said as he took a quick look up and down at her. “Hello, Jim,” Pam said, turning back to Colby. “Colby, maybe we can do lunch sometime this week,” she said as she made her way to the door. “Yes, we shall. I’ll let you know,” Colby said as she watched Jim look at Pam like he wanted to devour her up. As soon as Pam shut the door, Colby started laughing. Then she walked back to her desk looking at Jim. “Does someone have eyes for Pam?” she said as she cocked her head over to one side. Jim acted like he never had done anything. “Your secret is safe with me,” Colby said as she sat behind her desk with a smirk on her face. Jim sat down in one of the wing chairs and laid the books on her desk. Jim went over all the books that he brought in with her. “Colby, these books should help you out. I was going through my stuff and found them. If you don’t need them, let me know, and I’ll keep them.” Jim looked as if he wanted to ask Colby a question, but had second thoughts about it. Colby wouldn’t say anything if he didn’t. Jim stood up and made his way to the door. Before he left out, he told her if she needed any help with anything, he’ll be there to help her out. Colby thanked him and tried to get back to work. She hadn’t talked to Mitch since this morning. She would have to call him after lunch, so she worked all the way up to lunch when Logan called. “Hey, Colby, are you ready for lunch?” “Yes, oh, Pam wanted to go with us. Let me give her a call to see if she’s ready.” Colby hung the phone up and called Pam’s extension. “This is Pam. How may I help you?” “Pam, it’s Colby. Are you ready to go to lunch?”

“Sure, where do you want to meet at?” Pam asked. “Why don’t we all meet by the elevator in five minutes,” Colby said as she looked down at her watch. “That sounds good. See you then.” They all met at the elevator and went to lunch. Pam had told them how her family started treating her better; she started going to therapy, and an old high school fling had called her to ask her out. They were happy for Pam and how far she had come. They ate and headed back to the office. Once Colby got back to the office, she decided to call Mitch to see how his day was going. “Thanks for calling Mr. Harris’s office, how can I help you?” “Hi, Kim, this is Colby. How are you doing?” Colby asked, knowing she didn’t like her, but wanted to keep things professional. “I’m fine, thanks for asking,” Kim said in a dry voice and not really caring how Colby’s day was going. “Can I talk to Mitch?” “Let me see if he’s in his office.” Kim buzzed Mitch. “Mr. Harris, Colby is on line one.” “I’ll take it, Kim, thanks.” Kim just rolled her eyes at the phone. Mitch told Clint he would get back with him and waited until he left the office before he picked up. “How’s my baby doing?” Mitch asked. “I’m fine, and how’s your day going?” “It’s one of those days. I just found out I have to go to Atlanta on Wednesday.” “Really, my mom called and said she was coming in on Wednesday. How long are you going to be gone?” Colby asked, feeling a little sad to hear the news. “I’m not sure, but I’ll try to make it back in time to meet her. I’m sorry, baby,” Mitch said feeling bad.

“That’s okay, babe. I know you have to take care of business. She should be here for a couple of days, so hopefully you’ll be back.” Colby didn’t want to tell him she hadn’t told her mother about him. “Would you like to go out for dinner tonight?” Mitch asked. He wanted to spend as much time with Colby as possible. “That sounds nice,” Colby said in a sexy voice. “Hey, don’t talk like that. You’re gonna make me leave for lunch and come to your office,” Mitch said, laughing. “You know, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. I have a lock on my door, and plus there are no windows,” Colby said, laughing and going along with him. “Don’t tempt me now. How about I pick you up from your house around six thirty? There’s a nice restaurant I would love to take you to,” Mitch said. “It’s a date then.” “Wonderful, I’ll see you then. Hey, have a good rest of the day,” he said. “You too, Mitch,” Colby said as she hung up the phone. The rest of the day went by quick. Colby could not wait to get home. As she was walking out of her office, she ran into Logan. “Where are you heading off to, Colby?” “I have a date with my man tonight. What are you doing tonight?” she said as they were walking down the hall to the elevator. “I’m going home. Andre is supposed to come by later.” “My mom is coming in town on Wednesday. Are you going to come by?” “Girl, you know I can’t miss your mom. Have you told her about Mitch?” Logan looked at Colby. When she didn’t get a response, she knew that was a no. “Colby, tell me you’ve told your mom about him,” Logan said, looking at Colby like she had lost her mind. “You know how your mom is with interracial couples.

I think you need to tell her before she gets here.” “I will,” Colby said with her head held down. Logan knew the kind of relationship Colby had with her mother, and it wasn’t a good one. “Do you plan on talking to her before she gets here?” “Yes, Mitch is going out of town Wednesday, and she’s coming in. I’ll call her tomorrow. What can she say?” “Girl, you know your mom. She can mess up some stuff. You need to tell her before you regret it,” Logan said with a raised eyebrow. “I will,” Colby said, looking at Logan. She knew Logan wasn’t lying. They got on the elevator. Logan pushed the button to go to the garage. Once they got out, Logan reminded Colby to tell her mother, before she was surprised. Colby just shook her head and went to her car. She drove home thinking how she would tell her mom. Her mother made it known she didn’t like races mixing. Maybe she should tell Mitch tonight at dinner. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she pulled up in her garage. She got out and looked at her watch. She had a couple of minutes before Mitch got there. She went to the bathroom to freshen up a little. She heard the doorbell ringing when she stepped out of the bathroom. She answered the door, and Mitch walked in with one red rose in his hand. “Oh my, you are so thoughtful, baby,” Colby said as she took the rose he handed her. “A rose for a rose,” Mitch said as he leaned down and gave her a kiss. “I’m starving, how about you?” he said. “Let me get my purse, because I hate to keep a hungry man waiting,” she said as she ed him. He tapped her on her butt when she ed. “Watch out now,” Colby said with a wink. Mitch just laughed and walked to the door. Colby got her purse and walked out the door Mitch had opened; he took the key and locked the door behind him. Once in the car, they had small talk while listening to some jazz. They pulled up to a small restaurant. “This is cute,” Colby said, iring the little building.

“And they have the best food in town. I was in the neighborhood one day, and I ed it. So the next time I was over here, I was starving again.” He looked over at Colby since she was laughing. “Anyhow”—he chuckled—“I stopped in, and I’ve been hooked ever since. So I hope you like it,” he said. He was able to get a close parking space in front of the door. They got out and went in. There were several customers in there. Colby noticed it was a very cozy place that had a live band playing. “I can see why you like this place. It has a homey feel,” she said, looking around the place. A waitress walked up to them. “How many?” “Just the two of us,” Mitch replied. “Follow me please,” she said. Mitch allowed Colby to go first. The waitress sat them at a nice quiet table by the window so they could see the band and the street. “So what would you suggest?” Colby said, looking at him over the menu. “I always get the prime rib medium well. It’s delicious, but whatever sauce they put on top really brings the flavor out,” he said. “Well, you talked me into it,” Colby said. The waitress took their order and got their drinks. Colby tapped her foot to the music while Mitch rubbed her hand. She knew she should tell him, but she didn’t want to mess up the mood. It just isn’t the right time, she thought. She wanted to enjoy the moment. “So what would you like to talk about?” Mitch asked. Colby looked at him like he had read her mind. She tried to play it off. “I’m just enjoying the music. What would you like to talk about?” “What day did you say your mother was coming?” he asked still rubbing her hand. He felt her hand tighten up when he asked that question. Colby just looked at him like he said something in another language.

“Colby, did you hear me?” Mitch asked. Colby heard him, but didn’t want to get into it. “She should be here Wednesday,” she said as she pretended to be into the music. Just as he was getting ready to ask another question, the waitress came with their plates. Just in the nick of time, Colby thought. They sat there and enjoyed the food and music. Mitch never brought up the issue with her mother the rest of the night. He knew something wasn’t right, but chose not to pry. He wanted her to know she could come to him and talk about anything. After eating they stayed long enough to hear the band play one more song. On the way out the door, Mitch grabbed Colby’s hand and escorted her to the car. When they got inside, he said, “Colby, you know you can tell me anything, right? I don’t want you to think you can’t talk to me about anything.” Mitch looked at her and rubbed the side of her face. A cold chill went over her body. As bad as she wanted to say something, but nothing came out when she opened her mouth. She just sat there and smiled. Mitch drove the rest of the way to her house telling her about his day and his trip he has to take to Atlanta. By the time he pulled up at her house, Colby couldn’t keep quiet. She knew he deserved better. As he put the car in park, Colby turned to him. “Okay, Mitch, I appreciate you not pressuring me about anything. I do have something to say,” she said as she played with her fingers. “My mom and I don’t really see eye to eye on a lot of things. I haven’t told her I was dating you,” she said as she looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. “That’s okay, baby,” he said as he grabbed her hands. “No, you don’t understand. My mom doesn’t like interracial couples, and she makes it known.” “So when were you going to tell me this? So if I wouldn’t have asked you about your mom, would you have told me?” he said as his eyes started changing colors. She noticed it right away. “Mitch, I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to interrupt the mood. My mom is very opinionated. I love her, but she doesn’t run my life,” she said as she looked at him. “When were you going to tell, or are you ashamed of me?”

“Am I ashamed of you? No, baby, you’re one of the best things that happened to me. Don’t think that way,” Colby said in her most sincere voice. “I’m not sure when I am going to tell her, but it’s going to be before she gets here.” “Well, I’m sure glad you thought of me,” he said sarcastically. “Mitch, see, that’s why I didn’t want to talk about it at the moment. I knew it would start something,” she said, shaking her head. He was upset, but he understood the issue and had to let her know. “Look, Colby, I understand, believe me I understand, baby. I’m not sure what issues you and your mom have, but just know, I’m standing behind you,” he said as his facial expression softened. “I’m glad to hear that,” Colby said as she held her head down. "My mom and I haven’t had a real mom-and-daughter relationship for years. My dad ed when I was nineteen, and he left me a nice size insurance policy. She wasn’t happy at all, and ever since then our relationship has been up and down. She tries to control my life and gets mad when I don’t agree with her. She can be a handful at times.” He raised her chin with his hand. “Look, we’ll deal with your mom when she gets here. What is there not to like about me?” he said in a joking way to liven up the atmosphere. Colby had to appreciate him even the more. He always saw the bright side of things. “Mitch, if you say so. Maybe you can win her over with that gorgeous smile you have,” she said as she smiled at him. He loved it whenever she gave him a compliment. “You know I’m very fond of you, Colby. I think we can jump over any hurdle together, and I know we are going to have some tough ones. But if I can make it easy for you, then that’s what I’m going to do. Come on, let me get you inside,” he said as he got out of the car, and then he let her out. They walked to the front door hand in hand. He took her key and opened the door. “I didn’t tell you. I’ll be at your office in the morning to give you and Logan classes on your system.” “Really, I can’t wait to see you in my office tomorrow. I’ll try to keep my hands

to myself,” she said as she reached her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. They started off with a slow kiss that ended in them tearing each other’s clothes off. By the time it ended, they looked at the clock, and it read 2:00 a.m. Since it was already late, Mitch decided it was best to go ahead and stay. They finally got to sleep at three. Mitch woke up around six that morning. He rolled over and hugged Colby and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Colby stirred a little, but didn’t wake up. He got out of the bed and dressed so he could get home. “Hey, Colby,” he said as he stood above her. “Hmm,” she said in a groggily voice. “Hey, baby, I’m getting ready to go. Get up so you can let me out and lock the door,” he said close to her ear. “I have a spare key in the top drawer. Let yourself out, and I’ll see you later on today,” she said never opening her eyes. Mitch shook his head with a smile on his face. He walked to the dresser he thought she meant. He opened one of the drawers and found her undergarments. He picked up a pair of thongs and turned them from front to back. He looked immediately over at Colby lying in the bed. He started getting a bulge in the front of his pants. Man, she’s gonna have to wear these tonight, he thought. He looked at some more undergarments. “She has nice taste in panties,” he said as he closed the drawer. He looked around the room and went to the other dresser. He pulled it open to find T-shirts in it. He dug around the bottom and finally pulled the key out. Once he had the key in his hand, he walked over and kissed her again on the forehead. “I’m gone, Colby,” he said as he walked out of the bedroom then out the front door. He was really surprised she would give him a key to her house. He would have to do the same when she came over to his house. He made it home in time to shower and get to the office before going to her job.

CHAPTER 27

Colby woke up with a huge smile on her face. She rolled over to hug Mitch, but grabbed nothing but covers. She sat up in the bed and looked around to see if she saw any of his things. “Mitch,” she yelled then waited to hear him respond. “He must have left already. I thought I was dreaming when he was talking to me, but I guess it was real.” She raised one eyebrow and turned her head to one side. She looked at the clock, noticing she still had an hour before she had to be at work. She took her shower, got dressed, ate some fruit, and headed to work. On her way to work, her cell phone rings. “Hello,” she said. “Hey, sweetie, it’s Mom.” “Hey, Mom, how are you?” “I’m fine. I’ll be arriving today around three. Are you able to pick me up from the airport?” “Oh, I thought you were coming tomorrow? Sure I’ll be there.” “I thought I would surprise you and come today,” her mom said. “Yes, I’m surprised,” Colby said, thinking she had a surprise for her as well. “Mom, I’ll see you around three. Have a safe trip and until then,” Colby said before she hung the phone up. “OMG, what am I going to do? Let me call Logan.” She punched in Logan’s number. “Hello, stranger, your butt doesn’t call anyone anymore. You got a new man, and everyone got kicked to the curb,” Logan said. “Logan, my mom is on her way here. Her plane lands at three o’clock. You have to cancel all your plans today and help me out,” Colby said in a panic.

“Wait, wait, slow down, Colby,” she said as she tried to make sense of what her friend was saying. “Logan, you have to help me. You know how my mom gets.” Colby rested her head on the steering wheel at the light. “Colby, it’s not going to be that bad. Stop freaking out. If she doesn’t like him, then that’s her loss. Don’t let her determine your future. She’s only going to be here a few days, but he maybe in your life for a lifetime. So choose your battle. I feel this is one you don’t need to fight.” Colby heard cars blowing their horns and looked up to see the light turning red. She looked in her rearview mirror, and the person behind her was cussing her out and hitting his steering wheel. She ignored his ranting and continued the conversation with Logan. “Girl, I have sat here at this light, and these people behind me are pissed they missed the light. This guy is cussing me out something terrible,” she said, laughing. The light turned and before she could accelerate, he was blowing his horn. “I ought to be low down and make this nut miss the light again.” Colby watched as the guy sped around her and down the street. “Now, that doesn’t make no sense for him to drive like a bat out of hell,” Colby said, laughing so hard. “Are you almost at work?” Logan said. “Yes, I’m pulling up now. I see you.” They both got out of their car and walked in the building together. “You know, Mitch is coming to show us this program,” Colby said proud of her man. “Is it today? I forgot all about it. We have your team together. I tried to give you the people that would do the best job,” Logan said, looking at her. “Pam had mentioned something about that the other day. It doesn’t matter to me who I get, because I’ll bring them all up to a higher standard,” Colby said sure of herself. “Well, listen at you.” Logan pretended to knock dirt off Colby’s shoulder. “Can’t

touch that,” she said, laughing. “Yeah, right, you’re too much,” Colby said, shaking her head and chuckling. “After our meeting with Mitch, we’ll go over everything in more details about your team.” “Sounds good to me. By the way, how are you and your friend doing?” Colby asked. “We are doing wonderful. He buys me everything I want. All I have to say is I want and he’s there buying it. It’s nice to have a man to cater to your every need.” “Hmm,” was all Colby said. They reached Colby’s office first. “I’ll let you know when he comes,” Logan said. “Okay, I’ll see you shortly,” Colby said as she unlocked her office door. Logan walked to her office. She thought about the way Colby had reacted when she was telling her about Andre. She didn’t get a good vibe from her. She’ll have to pay more attention to them when they’re around each other, she thought.

Mitch made it to work to check in before he went to Colby’s office. He saw Kim sitting at her desk concentrating really hard on the computer. He walked over to look at the monitor with her. She jumped when she noticed she wasn’t the only one in the room. “Oh, Mitch, you scared me,” she said as she put one hand on her chest. “You were looking so hard at the computer. I just wanted to see what had your attention,” he said. “I was just reading this article. That’s all,” she said as she closed that particular screen. “I just wanted to stop by the office before I head over to meet with Colby and Logan. Is everything ready for me tomorrow?” he said.

“Yes, I have printed your ticket and arranged for you to be picked up at the airport. You also have hotel accommodations.” Mitch looked at her like she had two heads. “What did you just say?” “You might have to stay the night, so I booked the hotel just in case. “Thank you, but I don’t think that was necessary, Kim,” he said as he walked into his office. He called Clint to see what all this was about, but Clint hadn’t made it in the office yet. Mitch hung the phone up and grabbed a couple of files and headed out the door. “Kim, I’ll be back by the end of the day. It may not take me long to teach them, since they’re both very smart ladies. If you see Clint, tell him I’ll catch up with him later,” he said as he prepared to leave. “I sure will,” Kim said as she smiled. She watched as Mitch walked out the door. “I have something in store for you tomorrow, so you better be ready, Mitch Harris,” Kim said as she opened the page up she was reading before he came in. Mitch made it to their office. He sat in the receptionist’s area while the lady at the front desk called Tony. “Mr. Harris, go ahead and take the elevator to the third floor. Logan will be waiting for you there,” she said. “Thank you,” he said as he walked to the elevator. Once he got out of the elevator, Logan was waiting for him. “Good morning, Mitch. Are you ready?” Logan said as she looked down at his hands. “Yes, after you, Logan,” Mitch said as he followed her down the hallway. They walked into an office that had several computers in it. Mitch was looking for Colby when he walked in. “Don’t worry, I’m getting ready to call her,” Logan said as she smiled. Logan walked over to the phone and punched Colby’s extension in. “Hey, come on down to the office.” In the next three minutes, Colby walked in wearing a short

blue business skirt with a white blouse. Mitch looked at Colby and was in awe. She looked stunning. All kinds of good and bad things were running through his mind. Colby spoke to both of them as she took her seat. They both spoke back. “Okay, ladies, are you ready to get started?” Mitch said as he looked at them. “Yes,” Logan and Colby said. Mitch got started training them on the new system. Logan noticed his hands when he was showing her some key strokes on the keyboard. Logan looked over at Colby and motioned her to look at his hands. Colby smiled and shook her head. They tried to hide what they were secretly saying. But it didn’t go unnoticed by Mitch. He had to smile at the thought of it. He taught them most of the morning. “Are you ladies ready for a break? We only have a couple of more points to go over. It seems like you are picking it up very well. If you have any questions, just let me know. So if there’s none”—he looked at his watch—“let’s take a tenminute break.” “Sounds good to me,” Logan said as she got up and walked out of the room. Mitch stepped over to where Colby was sitting at and sat on the desk. “I would love to kiss you right about now,” he said. “So what’s stopping you,” she said in her sexiest voice and batting her eyes. There is nothing but space and opportunity,” she said leaning toward him. He looked around at the door to make sure no one was coming. He bent down and gave her a kiss that left her wanting more. It ended too fast for Colby. She knew they were both at work, so they had to try and keep their composure. “Oh, Mitch, my mom is flying in today. She called me on my way to work. She should be here by the time I get off,” she said, looking into his hazel eyes. “That sounds good to me. So should I come by and meet her?” he said with a questioning look. “Of course, baby,” Colby said as she stood up to stand in between his legs. He put his hands on her waist. “Okay, I’ll be by around seven. I have some work I need to catch up on before I

go out of town tomorrow.” He stood and gave her a kiss on the forehead before releasing her. The more Colby was around him, the more she started to fall head over heels for him. She hoped he was feeling the same way. Logan came back into the room and walked back to where she was sitting at earlier. Mitch looked back at his watch and continued with the class. They spent another hour and a half going over the rest of the material. “Well, ladies, that’s it for me. if you have any questions, just call the office, and the center will be able to help you. If there are no questions, my part is done,” he said as he walked over to his briefcase to put the papers in it. “Mitch, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to come back and help us,” Logan said with a smile. “You’re welcome. I don’t do it that often, but this was a special case,” he said and winked at Colby. Chills went up and down her spine. “Logan, how have you been doing? Have you been following the doctor’s orders?” he said on a more personal level. She looked at Colby with a raised eyebrow and then at Mitch. “I have, Lord knows I don’t ever want to see that hospital again. Andre keeps me on track since I don’t hear from my best friend anymore. You got her all occupied. I’ll have to make an appointment if I want to see her outside of work,” she said in a joking way. They all started laughing. “No, I’m just glad you have put the glow on her face and the pep in her step. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time. So whatever you’re doing, keep it up,” Logan said in her sisterly voice. “That’s very thoughtful of you to say something like that. Believe me this lady here is something special to me,” he said as he walked over to Colby and grabbed her hand. Colby was flying on cloud nine. “You guys are the best. I don’t know what I would do without the both of you. You have enhanced my life. I’m grateful to have both of you in my life,” Colby

said, trying not to get emotional. “Okay, girl, don’t get all sentimental on us,” Logan said as she went to give her a hug. “I’m not. I just wanted to tell you guys how much you mean to me,” she said as she squeezed Mitch’s hand. He bent down to kiss her on her forehead, before releasing her. “Well, ladies, I got to get going. I’ll see you tonight, Colby, and take care, Logan,” he said as he got his stuff. “Okay, we should have some food cooked if you want to eat with us,” Colby said as she walked him to the door. “I’ll let you know,” he said as he walked out the door. “Girl, you were right. He has some big hands,” Logan high-fived Colby. “I knew that was what you were looking at when you looked at me. You’re a mess with yourself,” Colby said, laughing. “I had to look. You put it out there. Okay, enough of your personal life. Let’s get back to business.” Logan started walking to the desk, but turned around. “What about your mom coming in today?” Colby looked at Logan. “I thought you said enough of my life?” “I know, but this is important.” “I’ve invited him over, and we’ll see what happens after that,” Colby said as she played with her hands. “I’ll be available if you need someone to talk to. I know your mom. She ain’t nothing nice.” Logan chuckled. “I can handle it, and if not, I know I have you to come over and referee,” Colby said as she was ready to end this conversation. Logan got the drift and changed the subject back to business.

“Okay, we need to talk about your group and then how we set it up. Come back to my office so we can discuss it. There’s going to be other people ing us. So I’ll see you in about ten minutes,” Logan said as she gathered her stuff and walked to her office. Colby sat down in her chair. “Lord, please work this out. Touch my mom’s heart and let her accept Mitch for who he is and not judge him by his skin color. Give Mitch and I strength to be able to handle it. Amen.” Colby got up and got her stuff to head for Logan’s office. Once she got there, there were several more people in the office. They all sat down and did some brainstorming on how they were going to conduct the different groups.

CHAPTER 28

Mitch made it back to work. Kim had several messages for him when he walked in. She followed him into his office. “What’s up, Kim?” “Good afternoon, Mr. Harris. How did the meeting go?” “It went very well, thanks for asking,” he said as he sat at his desk. He put his hands on the desk. “Now what do you have for me?” he said as he looked at her with a blank expression. I have me, she said in her mind. “We have a lot of work to do today. I’ll be going with you to Atlanta.” Before he could say anything, she rushed on. “They need me to assist you in whatever you need me to do,” she said. “Well, that’s fine. Did you get your flight and hotel reservations?” he said while shuffling through the notes she laid on his desk. “Yes, I also have all the papers and files you need for the trip. I tried to have everything for you, so it won’t take you long to play catch up.” She showed him all the things she put together. “I appreciate it, Kim. It looks like it’s going to be a late night. Call Clint for me and see if he can come to my office. What company is this again?” he said, flipping through the file. “It’s Blue Eagle. They handle a lot of shipping packages. We had a contract with them a long time ago, and they want us to show them what kind of deals we have and the prices, so that’s where I come in,” she said as she pointed to herself. “Okay, that name sounds familiar. I’ll look through this. In the meantime, is there anything else I need to know?” he said. “No, I think that’s it. I’ll call Clint when I get to my desk,” she said as she turned

and switched to her desk. All Mitch could do was shake his head. He was looking over the paperwork when Clint knocked once on the door. He motioned for him to come in. “What’s going on, man? I haven’t seen you in a while,” Clint said. “Just spending time with Colby. That’s all. What’s been up with you?” “Working and spending time with Lisa. She is amazing. You know Sandra finally called me,” Clint said still shocked. “Really, you hadn’t talked to her in months. Where was she hiding at?” Mitch said. “She wanted to get back with me, but I told her she had been replaced,” Clint said. “Man, you didn’t tell her like that, did you?” “Yeah, you don’t call and think I’ll wait around for you. You know, Mitch, I tried. And I saw the grass was greener and flourishing on the other side. Know I’m rolling all in it,” he said, giving Mitch a manly handshake. “I hear you, Clint. Matter of fact I need to call Lisa to see if I can get in before I fly out tomorrow. Hold on, let me call her.” Mitch picked up the phone and called. She said she was able to take him at seven. I’m supposed to meet Colby’s mom tonight. I hear she can be a handful.” “Maybe I can impress her like you did with Lisa’s parents,” he said, laughing. “Can’t nobody do it like me. But on a serious note, good luck. Are you nervous?” Clint asked as he sat at the edge of his chair. “Hell, yes. The Lord is gonna have to help me tonight, man. I’m just going to be myself and take it from that.” Clint shook his head. “Sounds good to me. What about this trip you have to take? I know Kim is so excited. This will be her first time going with you. All I’m saying is watch yourself. she still has the hots for you. Any

opportunity she’ll get she’s going to go for it,” Clint said, sounding like an older brother. “I’m sure she’s harmless. I shouldn’t have any problems with her. She knows I’m seeing Colby,” Mitch said not really paying attention to the conversation. “Okay, I’m just saying, be careful,” Clint told him. They went over some figures and information about Blue Eagle. They talked until it was time for Clint to leave for the day. Kim stayed long enough to give Mitch information about the flight and hotel reservation. “Do I need to pick you up in the morning since we have the same flight?” Mitch asked Kim. “Sure, if it won’t be too much of a hassle for you,” she said, loving every minute of it. “No, it’s no problem. I’ll be there around six. I’ll see you in the morning, Kim,” Mitch said as he continued to study the report. “Yes, Mr. Harris, see you in the morning,” Kim said before she left the office. “I need to go to Victoria Secrets and get me some new lingerie. I want him to forget all about that Colby chic. ’Cause when he sees me, I’m going to fulfill all his wishes he’d ever had,” Kim said, walking to her car.

Colby had finished for the day and went to the airport to pick up her mom. She hadn’t seen her mom in a long time. Hopefully, her stay will be short and sweet. Just as soon as she heard someone yelling her name, that thought vanished in thin air. “Colby, Colby,” her mom said waving her hands and yelling at the top of her lungs. Lord, why does she have to be so loud, Colby thought before she was standing in front of her. “Oh, baby, it’s so nice to see you. You look so beautiful in that suit. Turn around so I can get a good look at you,” her mom said as she helped her turn.

“Mom,” Colby said embarrassed. “How was your flight?” “It was nice. They don’t feed you like they used to, and it’s a crying shame. All that money you spend on a ticket and don’t get nothing but a small bag of nuts and a tiny cup of drink. That’s highway robbery if you ask me,” her mom said. She was about to say more, but Colby cut her off. “So, Mom, do you want me to cook or do you want to stop and get something to eat before we get to the house?” “Girl, when did you start cooking? The last I knew you couldn’t even boil water,” she said, laughing. “I can cook a little. You Logan. Well, she’s been showing me how to prepare some different foods,” Colby said as they walked out of the airport. “How is she doing? I hope I get to see her while I’m here,” her mom said. “Oh you will, matter of fact she should be coming over either tonight or tomorrow. She can’t wait to see you.” “Do you have any food at your house that I can cook? When was the last time you had a good home-cooked meal?” “I had one the other day at my friend’s house. Oh, and Mom, you’ll meet him tonight when he gets off work,” Colby said all excited. “You never told me you were dating anyone.” Her mother looked at her with a questioning look. Colby didn’t want to look over at her, so she pretended like she had to concentrate on driving. “Do you hear me talking to you, Colby?” “Yes, Mom, I hear you. I don’t tell you everything, and I’m sure you don’t tell me everything that happens in your life,” Colby said in a defensive manner. “You don’t have to get smart about it. I just asked a simple question. Something must be the matter with him,” her mom said. “There is nothing the matter with him. He treats me wonderful and respects me.

If I don’t have a problem with it, I feel you shouldn’t either.” Colby rubbed her head feeling a headache coming on. “Look, Mom, let’s not get into this. Why is it every time we are together, we argue all the time. It’s getting old, and I’m tired of it. We haven’t been together one whole hour and look at us.” “You can turn this car around and take me back to the airport if I’m already getting on your nerves.” Colby pulled the car over and put it in park. She turned in her seat to face her mom. “Is that always your solution to everything? Run when you don’t get your way and not face the problem. I’m grown. I’m not that little girl anymore and until you can come to grips with that, Mom, and stop being so opinionated about everything. Sometimes it may be best to keep your mouth shut especially if it’s going to hurt someone. And most of the time we are not going to agree, but that doesn’t mean you’re right and I’m wrong. It means we’re different, and it’s okay to be like that. So if you feel you want me to take you back to the airport, then I will.” Colby looked stern at her mom. Her mom couldn’t say a word. Her daughter had just put her in her place. “Well, if I never,” her mom said with an open mouth and arms crossed. “You have to it it, Mom, you had it coming. I want to ask you a question, and you don’t have to answer right away. I want you to really think about it.” Colby took a deep breath. “Why don’t you like me? It seems like after Dad ed away, everything seemed to go downhill with our relationship.” She put her hand on her mom’s leg to show she wasn’t mad, and she wanted things to work out with them. Her mother looked out the window with her hand to her mouth. Colby leaned over to be more in her space. “Take me back to the airport,” she said, not turning to look at Colby. “No, I’m not. You came here to visit your daughter, and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” Colby put the car back in drive and made her way to her house. Once she pulled up and parked in the garage, she looked over at her mom. “Mom, you know I love you, and I want us to be able to talk with each other and have a mother-daughter relationship. So we can call this a new beginning. What do you think?” she said, rubbing her hand on her arm. Her mom turned to look at

her. “I think that will be nice. It may take me a minute to control my mouth, but it will be a work in progress. I love you, Colby, and thank you for standing up to me and setting me straight. Even though I was this close from slapping you in the mouth,” she said as she held up an inch between her fingers. “Well, let’s go in and see your beautiful house.” They got out of the car and took her bags into the house. Colby showed her around; once they finished, they headed for the kitchen to start cooking.

Mitch finally finished all he had to do at work. He had to head to the salon to get his haircut before heading to Colby’s house. He was a little nervous about meeting Colby’s mom, but would try hard not to show it. He walked into the salon, and Lisa was waiting for him at the front desk. “Hey, stranger, nice seeing you again,” Lisa said as she showed him to her chair. “How have you been?” Mitch asked. “I’ve been doing fine. Clint is amazing. I’m glad you brought him here with you. We have been inseparable ever since,” she said, laughing. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Clint is a good person. I didn’t know I would set up a love connection, but hey, I’m glad to hear that.” “So how are you and Colby doing?” Lisa said, ing their last conversation about her. “Everything is good. Her mom is in town, and I’m going to meet her after I leave here. I’m also going out of town tomorrow, so I’m way overdue for a haircut. So work your magic,” Mitch said, laughing. “Oh please, it’s so easy to do your hair. You have great hair.” “Thanks, but I can’t take credit for that. It’s that Italian blood I have in me.” “I’ve always wondered what it was. I need some of that blood. Well, we are done.” She turned him around to see the back of his head. “Would you like me to

shampoo you to get all the hair off?” “Yes, since I’m not going straight home after this,” he said as he got up to go to the shampoo bowl. Lisa shampooed his hair and took him back to the chair to put some gel in it. After she finished, she wiped her hands on the towel and took his cape off. They walked to the front to pay his bill, and like always he left her a good tip. “Mitch, good luck tonight and have a safe trip tomorrow. I’ll see you back here next week.” “Thanks, Lisa. I’ll try to make it back next week. You know me. I’ll call you at the last minute. I’m glad you’re always able to take me,” Mitch said and walked out of the salon to go over to Colby’s house.

CHAPTER 29

Colby and her mom were in the kitchen cooking some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrot soufflé, and Hawaiian rolls. The house had a good aroma in it. “Man, Momma, I forgot how you throw down in the kitchen. I this is the way the house always smelled when you were in the kitchen cooking.” “Yes, I cooked a lot for my family. There was never a meal I cooked that I didn’t put my foot in it,” she said as they both started laughing. “You are absolutely right. I when I first moved out, I tried my best to cook like you. I found out some restaurants did a fabulous job too,” Colby said, laughing. “The food doesn’t taste like mine. Here, taste this,” her mom said as she dipped a spoon in the potatoes and gave Colby a sample. “Oh wow, that is good,” Colby said as she reached to get her some more. Her mom slapped her hand away. “You know you don’t dip the same spoon back in there. you’re not the only one eating that,” her mom said, looking at her with a tilt of the head. Colby knew exactly what that look meant. “I have a book I want you to read. I’ll go get it out my bag.” Her mom went to the guest room and retrieved the book. On her way back out, she heard the front door opening up. Her eyes got wide, because she doesn’t Colby telling her someone stays there with her. She walked closer to the door. Mitch ed Colby gave him a key, so to not disturb them, he decided to use the key and let himself in. As he started pushing the door open to walk in, all of a sudden, he had to duck to miss the object that was coming his way. Colby’s mom had thrown the first thing she saw at the stranger walking in her daughter’s house. Mitch didn’t know he was walking into a battle zone when he walked into

the house. Colby jumped up from the table when she heard a bunch of noise in the living room. “If you don’t get out this house, and I mean right now!” she heard her mom say. “Hold on, Mom,” Colby said, running to get in between her and Mitch. “This white man is breaking into your house.” “No, he’s not.” Colby turned to Mitch that had a scowl on his face. She saw that his eyes had turned a cold gray. “Wait, Mom, this is my friend,” Colby said, holding her hand up toward her mom. “This is my friend I was telling you about,” Colby said. “Well, you left one important part out—that he’s a white man.” Mitch was clueless on what was going on. Colby tried to tell him her mom was a piece of work, and now he was seeing it firsthand. “Mom, does it really matter what color he is?” “I would have thought you of all people would at least stick with your own kind,” her mom said. Before Colby could say another word, Mitch stepped forward to try and stop this madness. “Wait a minute, ma’am. My name is Mitch Harris, and I am your daughter’s boyfriend. By no means did I break into her house. I have a key.” Mitch dangled the key in the air. Her mom wasn’t hearing any of it. Mitch looked at Colby, and she looked at him. Her mom threw her hands up in the air and walked out of the room. “I thought you told your mom,” he said close to a whisper. “No, I didn’t tell her. I didn’t think it would matter as long as you treat me right,” Colby said whispering as well. “I guess it does matter,” he said as he walked away and sat down on the couch.

Colby followed him. “Wow, what a way to meet my mom. I told you she was a little radical,” she said, looking down at the floor. “A little, that’s an understatement. Wouldn’t you say?” Mitch said with frustration in his voice as he stared at Colby. “What? Like I can control what comes out her mouth,” Colby said getting an attitude. She knew the answer to her question before she asked. “Do you want to stay and eat with us?” “No, I don’t think so. I need to go and start packing since I’m leaving early in the morning,” he said as he stood to leave. “Oh, here’s your key back. I don’t think I need this anymore. I’m afraid to see what will happen next if I keep it.” He handed it back to Colby and headed for the door. “So is this the way you’re going to react, by leaving?” Colby stood and followed him. She pulled his arm to stop him. “Wait, Mitch, I don’t want you leaving like this or us not being able to fix this issue.” Mitch stopped and turned to look at Colby. “What would you like for me to do, Colby? I don’t kiss no one’s ass, and I’m not going to start. If your mom doesn’t like me, well shame on her, because I haven’t done anything to her for her not to like me. I hate this is happening, but I don’t have time tonight to try and explain to your mother what kind of guy her daughter is dating,” he said as a matter of fact. “Mitch, I’m sorry about all of this. If I could have changed it, I would,” she said still holding on to his arm. “You know, Colby, you could have changed the whole situation, by telling your mom what color I was. Instead you didn’t say anything, knowing she doesn’t approve of interracial couples. So actually, I don’t blame your mom. I blame you,” he said, looking directly at her. Colby was shocked at what had just come out of his mouth. “Well, Mitch, if you feel that way about this, I hate it for you.” She walked him to the door, told him to have a nice trip, and shut the door. Mitch could not believe what just happened.

“How in the world could one person seem to mess up the happiness of others, and we allow it,” he said as he looked at the closed door, shaking his head. He wanted to scream and kick the can that was at the curb, but decided to just get in his car. Colby leaned up against the door not believing what had just taken place. She was so furious at herself and her mother. She was mad at herself because what Mitch had said was right. She stood there pondering what her next move should be. She stood by the door for what seemed like an hour. Her mother finally came into the room and asked, “Where’d your friend go?” Colby must have looked at her mom like she had three eyes on her forehead. With squinted eyes, she walked up to her mom. “Where did my friend go? Are you asking me that question? Where do you think he went? I’d get as far away if I was him too. What you just did was uncalled for, and I don’t know if I can forgive you for this one. You took it too far,” Colby said as she walked out of the room. She went to her room and picked up the phone and punched in some numbers. “Hello, I knew you would be calling,” Logan said. “I can’t believe my mom or maybe I can. Do you know what this woman did?” Colby retold the story. Logan had to laugh. “What’s so funny?” Colby said hotter than a fire cracker. “Hey, don’t get mad at me. I told you Colby that you need to tell her, but what did you say? ‘I will.’ I guess that conversation never happened. That’s why I told you to tell her, because I didn’t want your mom to be the reason you and Mitch break up. Do I need to come over? Never mind. I’m on my way.” Logan hung the phone up. Colby sat in her room just staring at the walls. She debated on calling Mitch, but she would give him some time to cool off. She would wait until Logan came over before she’d leave her room. “Lord, I need you to help me hold my tongue so I don’t say anything out the way

to my mom. Lord, you know she was wrong. Fix her heart, Lord. Give her some understanding and guidance, and while you are working on her work on Mitch and myself. This I ask in your son’s name. Amen.” Colby got up from the bed when she heard the doorbell ring. She left the room to go to the door. When she opened the door, in walked Logan and Mitch. Colby’s eyes were as huge as saucers. “Look who I found outside in his car,” Logan said as she waved her hand in his direction. Mitch just looked at Colby with so much love in his eyes. He walked up to her and took her hands. “Colby, I want to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I sat out in my car wondering what the next step is going to be.” While they were talking, they didn’t see her mom standing in the doorway looking at them. “I couldn’t leave tomorrow and leave us like this. We have to fix this, because you mean too much to me. I couldn’t imagine my life without you. I love you, Colby,” Mitch said. He surprised himself with those words. But once he realized what he had said, he put a huge smile on his face. Colby’s face turned from sad to happy in an instant. “Oh, I love you too, baby. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you over this. And please forgive me for the way I acted. I’m sorry I didn’t tell my mom what color you were. I just wanted her to look past all of that and see the man her daughter didn’t mean to fall in love with, but did,” she said as she pulled his head down to give him a kiss. Her mom watched from a distance and realized how much pain she had caused in just the little time she had been here. She walked out of the room and went into her bedroom and shut the door. “Well shoot, I guess I need to go on to the house now. Looks like my job is done here,” Logan said as she put her hands together. Colby and Mitch just hugged each other while they listened to Logan. Colby looked around to see if her mother was in the living room with them. “Mom,” Colby yelled. “Mom.” She left them in the living room to go and find her mom. She knocked on the door. “Mom, can I come in?”

“Sure,” her mom said in a low voice. Colby stepped into the room and found her mother sitting on the bed. “I really screwed things up this time, didn’t I?” her mom said with her head down. “I heard everything Mitch said to you. And, baby, don’t ever let anyone come in between you two. That means even your stubborn mother. I can sometimes put my foot in my mouth. I’m going to try harder to do right by you. I love you, and I want you to be happy,” she said as she hugged Colby. “I’m not going to judge all white people until I get to know them, and it seems like you have a good one. I wish you guys good luck on your relationship. It’s not going to be easy, especially when you have people out there like me.” “Yes, I would say that. See, Mom, you can’t judge everyone because of the color of their skin. And, Mom, he has treated me better than any other guy I’ve dated. I want to take you out and formally introduce you to Mitch,” she said as she took her mother’s hand. They left the room and found Logan and Mitch in the kitchen with plates in their hands. They started laughing when everyone saw each other. Colby introduced Mitch to her mom. Her mom went and shook Mitch’s hand and said, “I would like to apologize for the way I acted earlier. I’m just not used to seeing anyone of my children dating outside their race, but what I just witnessed between the two of you, you have just changed my mind and the way I see interracial couples. If my daughter accepts you, then you are a friend of mine, just as long as you don’t hurt her,” she said as she gave him a hug. Colby walked over to Logan and put her arm around her arm. “Would you ever have thought you would see my mom hug a white man and mean it?” “Hell no,” Logan said as they both started laughing. Colby’s mom and Mitch both looked at them. “I made enough food for everyone. I see you guys have started without us,” her mom said. “It smelled so good, we just couldn’t help ourselves,” Mitch said. They all put food on their plates and sat at the table to eat. They enjoyed each other’s company while they ate. “I hate to eat and run, but I have an early start in the morning,” Mitch said as he put his plate in the sink. “Mrs. Washington, supper was very delicious, and I’m glad we got everything worked out,” he said with a smile. Colby got up from the table to walk Mitch outside.

“Baby, I’m so glad we were able to work everything out, and when you said you loved me, you blew me away,” Colby said. “I do, and I guess it took our first real fight to say it,” he said as he held her tight to himself. “I love you, Colby, and guess what?” “What?” she said looking into his hazel eyes. “I really need to thank your mom, because if it hadn’t been for her, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to finally say those words.” “Well, yeah, I need to thank her too.” They just stood there and hugged each other for a few before he had to leave. They said their goodbyes and kissed each other like it was no tomorrow. He watched as Colby went inside, then he drove away. When Colby entered the house, her mom and Logan were washing the dishes, having a good ole time. Once Logan saw her, she dried her hands on the towel and said, “I would love to stay and chat, but I really need to get going. Mom, it was nice to see you again, and be nice,” she said as she grabbed her purse, and Colby walked her out. “Thanks for coming,” Colby said. “Girl, that’s what friends are for,” she sang. They started laughing. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” Logan said as she got in her car and left. Colby went back inside and found her mother still in the kitchen. “So, Mom, what do you think about Mitch now?” Colby asked. She wanted her mother to approve of him more than she knew it. Her mom put the towel down she was wiping the table off with. “Well, dear, I think he’s going to make you a perfect husband. He brings stability to you. You seem more grounded and sure of yourself when he’s around. Not saying that you’re not that without him, but the confidence level goes way up. I’m proud of you and everything you have accomplished so far.” She walked over to where Colby was standing and stood in front of her. “I know I haven’t been the best mother a girl could have, but I promise to make up for all the times I wasn’t there for you. I love you, Colby, and I want to be here for you.” Colby had never heard her mom talk like that before. She was so overwhelmed

by what her mom had said. She pulled her mom into her arms and thanked the Lord while tears where rolling down her checks. They stood there holding each other for over five minutes. They both needed this time to heal all wounds. Finally they parted to finish the kitchen. They talked and laughed like never before. Tonight had been a new beginning of their relationship.

CHAPTER 30

Mitch had packed all his clothes last night when he got home. He put his bags in the trunk and locked the house up. He called Kim to make sure he had the right address before heading her way. Once he got to her apartment, she was waiting by the entrance. He got out of the car to get her bags. “Good morning, Mitch,” Kim said in a cheery voice. “Good morning, Kim. Is these all your bags?” he said, looking at the three bags that were lined up. “Yes, a girl always needs extra clothes just in case something comes up,” she said smiling as he toted her bags to the car. He didn’t feel he needed to open the door for her since she wasn’t Colby. He thought about last night at her house, and a smile came across his face. “And what brings on that smile?” Kim asked. “Oh, just thinking about last night.” He had to change the subject, so she wouldn’t be all in his business. “Are you ready for this meeting?” “Yes, and I also brought their old files just in case we may need them. I made sure we would have everything at our disposal.” She ran down everything that they would be doing while in Atlanta. She was so happy she was going with him. “Maybe this was the time they needed to get to know each other outside of the office,” she thought as she glanced at him. “Have you eaten breakfast yet? We have about twenty minutes to spare before we have to be at the airport,” he said, looking at the clock on the dashboard. “No, I haven’t. That sounds like a good idea. Do they serve breakfast or any food on the plane? It’s been a while since I flew,” she stated.

“Did you book us first class?” he asked. “No, I didn’t,” she said as she looked at him. “Well, we better stop then,” he said, laughing. She started laughing too. They pulled up at McDonald’s drive-thru. “What would you like?” he asked as he pulled up to order. She told him, and he placed both orders. He saw her digging in her purse and said, “I got it, don’t worry about it.” “Oh, that’s sweet of you,” she said as she touched his arm. He looked down at her hand on his arm and used that hand to grab his wallet out his back pocket, so she would move her hand. They pulled up to the window to pay. He pulled to the next window to get their food when his phone rang. “Hello.” He didn’t get a chance to look to see who was calling him. “Hey, baby, I just wanted to hear your voice before my day got started,” Colby said in a sleepy voice. “Hey, baby, I was going to call you before we got on the plane. But I’m glad you called. Hold on one minute.” He put the phone in his lap while he took the food from the lady. He ed Kim’s food and drink to her. “Thank you,” Kim said in her sexiest voice. Colby frowned at the voice she heard on the other end. “He didn’t tell me she was going with him. I don’t trust that heifer,” she said to herself. “Colby, I’m back,” Mitch said as he maneuvered the car back into traffic. “Who is the female in the car with you?” Colby said fully awake now. “Oh that’s just Kim,” he said. “That’s none of your business. Yes, I have your man for the next two days all to myself, and we shall see who ends up getting him for keeps,” Kim said to herself.

“Tell her I said hello,” Colby said, not wanting him to pick up on the agitation in her voice. Mitch looked over at Kim and told her what Colby said. She put a fake smile on her face and said in the same voice, “Tell Colby I said hello and don’t worry, I will take good care of you these next two days.” “She said hi. Look, baby, we are at the airport, so I’ll call you back later on tonight. Stay sweet,” he said. “Okay, be careful, and I’ll talk to you later,” she said. She wasn’t going to tell him she loved him, because she wanted to see if he was going to say it first. “Hey, Colby, I love you,” he said before he hung the phone up. “I love you too, Mitch,” Colby said with a smile on her face as she hung up. “Lord, keep that woman away from my man, and you know she is up to no good.” Colby got up from her bed to get ready for work. After she got out of the shower, she smelled some bacon being cooked. She hurried up and got dressed so she could her mother in the kitchen. “Good morning, Mom,” Colby said as she entered the kitchen. “Good morning, baby. I thought I would fix you something before you went to work,” she said as she cut the stove off. Colby walked over to the stove and looked through all the pots to see what was in them. “Sit down, and I’ll fix your plate. Would you like milk or OJ?” her mom asked. “I’ll take some milk. I can get used to this,” Colby said as she sat at the table. “Don’t get too used to it. I’ll only be here for a couple more days. But while I’m here, I want my baby to have home-cooked meals. While you’re at work, I’m going to take the bus and go shopping.” “Mom, why don’t you wait until I get off? You don’t need to walk around with a lot of bags,” Colby said. “Girl, you know I’m not one to sit around nobody’s house. I’ll find my way around town, and I’ll buy small items, so I won’t have a lot of bags.”

“I can drop you off downtown where I work. They have a lot of shops down there, and if you want to come home, I can bring you home when I go to lunch,” Colby said as she finished her breakfast. “That sounds like a plan. What time are you going to work?” “I have to be there at eight,” Colby said. “Okay, let me get my purse. I’ll do the dishes when I get back,” her mom said as she left the kitchen. “That’s fine, let me get my stuff too,” Colby said as she left the room. When she came back, her mother was waiting by the door. Colby turned on the alarm and headed to work. Once she got there, she showed her mom where she worked and pointed in the direction where she could shop. Her mom gave her a hug and strolled off down the sidewalk. Colby watched as her mom went into one of the shops. Once she didn’t see her anymore, Colby went to work.

Mitch had a carry-on bag, but waited for Kim to check her bags in before he walked into the airport. After Kim’s bags were checked in, they went through security and found the terminal they would take to get on the plane. Kim had to keep up with Mitch since they only had fifteen minutes before the plane departed. Mitch noticed he had to keep looking back to see where Kim was, so he slowed down a bit. “Whew, that’s better,” Kim said as she finally caught up with Mitch. “I thought I was in a walk race. I have shorter legs than you, ,” she said as she tugged at his arm. Mitch started laughing, “Yeah, I forgot you were with me. I guess I need to slow down a little.” “Yes, that would be nice. I thought we had enough time,” she said as she looked at her watch. “I did too. But you never know how long it’s going to take you to through

the security checkpoint. We should make it in time,” he said as he glanced at the clock on the wall. As they walked up, the lady on the intercom was calling out seat numbers for those to board the plane. When they heard their numbers called, Mitch let Kim go ahead of him. She knew that he would be watching her butt, so she put on a show for him. She walked like she was a model walking down a runway. Mitch had to shake his head when he noticed how she was walking. Kim found their seats and started looking for a spot to place her bag overhead. Since Mitch had already put his bag in the overhead compartment, he went and got Kim’s bag to put hers with his. “Thank you. I would have never found a spot,” she said as she sat in the middle seat. “You’re welcome. It gets hard to find an overhead spot once everyone starts putting their bags up,” he said as he sat beside her. His thigh was touching against hers. She didn’t budge a bit, because she enjoyed his manly thighs touching hers. “When the attendant es, can you see if she can give me a pillow?” Kim asked. “Sure, do you need some cover too?” he asked. “Yes, that would be fine,” she said aloud, but thought to herself, If you put your arm around me I’ll be just fine. “Excuse me, ma’am, can I get a cover and pillow?” he asked. The attendant left and brought back the cover and pillow. “Is there anything else I can get you, cutie?” she said, giving him a milliondollar smile. Her smile was so contagious that Mitch couldn’t help but give her a smile back. “Oh, and you have a gorgeous smile,” she said with a wink. “And you have a pretty smile yourself,” he said. Kim turned in her seat and cleared her throat to let the attendant know he was off-limits, but the attendant paid her no mind.

“So you’re flying to Atlanta? Is it business or personal?” “Actually it’s business.” “I was going to suggest a nice restaurant for you to go to if it was personal.” “You can still suggest it. I might be in town long enough to go there.” “It’s downtown in an old building. You’d never know that it was a restaurant looking on the outside. You have to call for reservation, so if you want to go I can give the number after we land,” she said. “That sounds good. I’ll see you after the flight then,” he said. The attendant walked away to help another person. “She was really friendly. She didn’t tell us what kind of food they served, did she?” Kim said, trying to sound interested, but ticked because the attendant was pretty with shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a body to die for. She had a natural sway to her hips that had caught Mitch’s eye. Kim cleared her throat again to get Mitch’s attention. The pilot came over the intercom to say they were getting ready to pull away from the gate. Kim and Mitch buckled their seat belts. While Mitch was pulling his belt, he accidently rubbed his hand over Kim’s thigh which sent a chill up her spine. “I’m sorry, Kim,” Mitch said. “Oh, that’s okay, Mitch,” Kim said with a sly smile on her face. The pretty attendant walked to make sure Mitch was buckled up. “Sir, do you need any help with your belt?” the attendant asked with a smile. “No, I got it. Thank you,” Mitch said with a smile. Kim rolled her eyes at the interaction between the two of them. “She better sit her butt down before she falls into you. That would be right up her alley,” Kim said with squinted eyes. “Oh, Kim, don’t act like that. She’s just being nice to one of her customers,” Mitch said.

“I don’t see her grinning in anyone else’s face. But I’m sure Colby wouldn’t take kindly to some flight attendant flirting with her man,” Kim said, trying to make him feel bad. “There’s nothing wrong with what she’s doing,” Mitch said, enjoying the situation. “Yeah, right,” Kim said as she rolled her eyes. “I hate this part of flying,” she said as she closed her eyes and grabbed Mitch’s arm. The plane taxied down the runway and lifted in the air. She didn’t let go of Mitch until the plane was in the air for ten minutes. She finally let go of his arm even though she could have held on to him forever. “How long is this flight?” she said, looking at him. “You’re the one that booked it, but it’s usually about a three-hour flight. Once you get in the air, it doesn’t seem like it takes that long. I usually watch a movie or two. So if you want to watch one, I’ll pay,” Mitch said scanning through the movies. Kim started looking through the movies with him. “Have you seen Fast Five? I like action-packed movies,” she said. “No, I didn’t get a chance to see it when it was out.” “If you like action, you’ll like that one.” “This is the movie we will watch then,” he said as he pulled out his wallet to pay for the movie and headsets. They watched most of the movie before Kim took the opportunity to pretend she had fallen asleep and rested her head on his shoulder. Mitch didn’t want to disturb her sleep, so he let her head stay where it was. About ten minutes later, he saw the attendants pushing the drink cart down the aisle. The attendant that was flirting with him early made sure she would be able to serve him. She pushed the cart closer to him. When she got to him, she noticed the lady resting her head on his shoulder. She hadn’t acknowledged the woman earlier or thought they were together. She felt kind of bad about flirting with him and disrespecting the woman. “What would you like to drink?” she said with a smile. He tapped Kim on the leg to wake her up.

“Kim, what would you like to drink?” Kim opened her eyes and noticed the attendant and Mitch looking at her. She wiped her mouth and said, “Do you have a Diet Coke?” “Yes, we do, and you, sir?” “I will have water please,” Mitch said. “Coming right up. Would you like the bottle?” she said. “That would be nice.” He noticed her smile wasn’t quite as big as it had been. “What happen to that million-dollar smile you had?” She started smiling again. “Is that better?” “Much better,” Mitch said. Kim couldn’t stand it anymore. “Which way is the restroom?” Kim said, disrupting the conversation. “I’ll have to take you to the one upfront since the cart is blocking the way. Follow me please.” She showed Kim where the restroom was and came right back to Mitch. “She’s very pretty,” the attendant said. Mitch caught on to what she was hinting around. “That’s my secretary, not my girlfriend,” he said, laughing. The attendant pretended she wiped sweat from her brow. They both started laughing, just as Kim was walking back down the aisle. She looked from one to the other. This flirt hasn’t left yet, she thought as she stood beside her. Mitch stood so Kim could sit back down. The flight attendant moved to her next customers. “She has the hots for you, Mitch. She can’t seem to stay out of your face,” Kim said, sounding jealous. “She’s just doing her job at making sure we have a nice flight. So the next time my secretary picks a flight, she will how we were treated and will

book another trip with the same airline,” Mitch said as he nudged her shoulder with his. “I sure won’t. If they’re this friendly, I would like to see how the others compare. You know, share the happiness,” Kim said, spreading her arms open to make a point. “Why try someone else when you know what you like? They might disappoint you, and then you’ve wasted your time and money,” he said. “No, not really especially if it’s not your money or time,” she said. “Regardless if it’s business or personal, someone is spending money, so you might as well stick to the one that treats you right the first time. And that goes with anything in life,” Mitch said as he closed his eyes, letting Kim know that that was the end of the conversation. Kim just stared at him. This conversation is long from being over, she thought to herself. Just then, the pilot came over the intercom letting them know the seat belt light was on, and they were starting to descend. Once on the ground, the flight attendant waited until everyone was off the plane before she went to find Mitch. He had waited outside the gates for her. Kim wasn’t happy about it, but she wasn’t going to leave him by himself with that flirt. So whatever she has to say, she’s going to have to say it in front of me, she thought to herself. As the flight attendant stopped in front of them with her bag, she took out her phone and gave Mitch the number to the restaurant. “I hope you enjoy it like I always do when I have a layover here,” she said as she gave him her million-dollar smile. “When are you guys leaving?” Mitch looked over at Kim. “I believe we are here for two days. Is that right, Kim?” “Yes, Mr. Harris, we will be leaving Thursday after the meeting. I’m not sure exactly what time,” said Kim back in her secretary mode. “Well, if I don’t see you again, it was nice having a handsome face on my flight.

Have a good day and thank you for flying with us again,” she said. “You made the flight very enjoyable. I’m sure we’ll be using you guys again. Isn’t that right, Kim?” he said as he looked over at Kim for a response. “Yes, Mr. Harris, we sure will. It was a very pleasant flight, because we had an attendant that went out of her way to put her customer first,” she said with a fake smile. It didn’t go unnoticed by the flight attendant. So that was her queue to leave. She shook hands with both of them and turned on her heels. “Wow, she was very nice,” Kim commented as she watched her walk away. Mitch just looked at her. They went and got Kim’s bag from the baggage claim. After finding the bags, they noticed a man holding a sign with their company’s name on it. “That must be us,” Kim said as they walked toward him. “Good morning, Mr. Harris. Did you guys have a nice flight?” the driver said. “Yes, we did, thank you,” Mitch said. “The car is this way. Mr. Smith is waiting for you at the Breakfast House, so hopefully you haven’t eaten breakfast yet,” he said as he looked at them and started walking to the car. “That's thoughtful of him,” Mitch said as he followed him to the car. They got in the car as the driver put the bags in the truck. They rode to the restaurant where they met Mr. Smith. After eating breakfast, the driver took them to the office to get the meeting started. It lasted all day, but they did take a break for lunch. At the end of the day, they were both exhausted. It was a long day with a lot of negotiation. They still had one more day to try and seal the deal. Mr. Smith invited them to dinner that night. They stayed out until eight when the driver finally took them to their hotel.

CHAPTER 31

Mitch and Kim stopped at the front desk to get the keys to their room. “Man, this has been a long day. I’m ready to take a hot shower and go to bed, but we need to go over everything tonight. How long will it take you to summarize your notes? After you do it, come to my room, and we’ll have a conference call with Clint,” Mitch said as they rode the elevator up to their rooms. “Okay, it shouldn’t take me long to have everything for you. Our rooms are right next to each other, so I’ll be over as soon as I’m done,” Kim said as she stopped in front of her door. Mitch walked her to get to his room. Once he walked in, he put everything down and pulled his phone out his jacket pocket. He punched in Colby’s number, but got her voice mail. “Hey, Colby, I was calling to see how you are doing. I just made it to the hotel. I should be up for a couple more hours, so call me when you get this message,” Mitch said. Kim went into her room, laid her bags down, and pulled out her outfit for tonight. She walked in the bathroom to freshen her makeup and hair, then she walked back to the bed where the outfit was. “I hope he likes this on me,” she said as she held up the teddy to herself. “Let me hurry up so I can get over to my man.” She sat down and typed up her notes from the meeting. It took her an hour to get everything together, and after she finished, she headed out the door. Mitch was on the phone talking to Clint when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and waved Kim in. She came in and sat on the couch. “Hey, Clint, Kim just walked in, so I’m going to put you on speaker phone. She has all the notes from the meeting.” Mitch pulled up a chair next to the coffee table. The three of them went over everything to seal the deal. It took them an hour and a half to finish. Once they got off the phone, Kim and Mitch talked about tomorrow for another thirty minutes.

“Boy, I’m tired,” Mitch said as he rubbed his neck. “Would you like me to massage your neck for a minute?” Kim said as she stood up from the couch. Mitch wanted to decline the offer, but as tight as his neck and shoulders were, he needed some kind of relief. “That would be good. It hurts right in this area,” Mitch said as he pointed to the area. “Do you have some kind of lotion? You know, don’t worry about it. I’ll just go get some.” Mitch shut his eyes so he didn’t see what door she had went through. When she came back, she held a bottle of baby oil in her hand. “I’m back,” she sang. “Okay, where did you say it was hurting?” “Right here,” Mitch said, pointing to the area. She poured a little oil in her hand and started massaging his neck. “That feels great,” he said, enjoying the massage. “I’m glad you like it,” she said close to his ear in a sexy whisper. Mitch caught the tone in her voice and decided the massage had to end. “Thanks for the massage,” he said while pulling away and standing up. “But I’m not finished yet,” she said in a desperate plea. “I’m tired, so I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning around seven,” he said as he walked her to the door. When Kim walked out, he walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Kim was so distraught. She walked back to her room and sat on the bed for a minute. She wondered if she should still go through with her plans or just forget about it. “No, I’m not. I didn’t buy all this stuff to just let it sit in my closet.” She got off the bed with an attitude and took her clothes off to put on the teddy. It was a

white sheer teddy that hung long in the back, with feathers around the neckline, and it was long enough in the front just to tie the string under her boobs. She spruced herself up and headed through the ading doors. She heard the shower still running when she walked in. “Good, he’s still taking a shower,” she said.

Colby had taken her mother home when she went to lunch. Her mom had bought several items out of the stores that were nearby. After she took her mom home, she went back to work. She saw that Mitch had called her, but she was not able to answer the phone. So she would call him once she got home. After she left the office, she called her mom. “Mom, do I need to get anything from the store before I come home?” “No, dear, I have supper already done. I’m just waiting on you to come home.” “I’m on my way now, so I’ll see you in about fifteen minutes,” Colby said as she hung the phone up. Colby walked into the house fifteen minutes later. “Hey, Mom, wow, that smells good whatever you cooked,” Colby said as she put her things in the chair. “I found some steaks in the fridge, so I marinated them for a while. I also found those potatoes and vegetables. I hope you like it,” she said as she started fixing their plates. “If it tastes as good as it smells, I’m going to love it. I need to watch you cook these things so I can repeat them.” “I only have one more day here, so I don’t know how much teaching I can do,” her mom said as she put the plates on the table. They ate and talked over dinner. After Colby finished, she went and got her phone to call Mitch. She punched in the number and sat back down at the table.

Just as Kim was getting in Mitch’s bed, his cell phone started ringing. She looked at the phone to see who was calling. Colby’s name popped up. Kim looked at the number for a split second and wondered if she should answer it. “Hello,” she said in a sexy voice. Colby pulled the phone away and looked at it then put it back to her ear. “Is Mitch there?” Colby said. “I’m sorry, sweetie. He’s taking a hot shower after our long hard day and the massage I gave him. I told you I was going to take care of him, so when he gets out of the shower, I’ll be waiting in his bed for him. I’m the better woman, and he deserves me and not you. I don’t know what he saw in you anyway. But believe me, he’s going to be all mines tonight, and when we come back he will have forgotten all about you. Because I’m going to make him feel like he’s never felt before. “Excuse me, Kim, if you think for one minute that whatever plans you have is going to work, think again, honey,” Colby said pissed off now. “You don’t worry about my plans. Just know I’ll be the one to take your man,” Kim said in the same tone that mirrored Colby’s. “That’ll be the day. If he wanted you, you would have had him before me. But he doesn’t want you, even if you walked butt naked in front of him. So you can talk all the trash you want. The only thing that’s going to happen to you is getting your feelings hurt.” “I don’t think so. I’m with him right now. He’s getting out of the shower now, so I get to see his fine body. Should I tell him you called before or after I make love to him?” Kim said, enjoying the moment. “You keep dreaming,” Colby started to say before Kim cut her off. “No, you listen. Mitch has and will always be my man. I don’t know why he has you. I’m a better woman than you will ever be,” Kim spat out. “Oh, by the way I hear him coming now. Talk to you later, Colby,” Kim said. But before Kim hung the phone up, Colby heard Mitch’s voice in the

background. Then the phone went dead.

CHAPTER 32

Colby could not believe what had just taken place. She dropped the phone like it had bitten her. Her mom looked at her like she lost her mind. “Colby, what’s the matter with you?” her mother asked. “Oh my goodness.” Colby put her hand over her mouth and just stared at the phone. “Colby, what’s the matter?” her mom said as she got up and stood in front of Colby. Colby opened her mouth to say something, but nothing ever came out. “I can’t believe him. He went to Atlanta to be with his secretary,” Colby finally said. “What are you talking about, child?” her mom asked. “Mom, I’m talking about Mitch. That was Kim, his secretary, who picked up his phone.” She told her mom what Kim had said. “Well, call him back to see if he answers the phone.” “No, I’m not calling him. I don’t have anything to say to him. If he feels he has to go out of town to do his dirt, then he needs to stay out of town,” Colby said pissed off. She got up from the table and walked into her bedroom to lie down. Her mother followed her. “Colby, do you really think that man went all the way to wherever he is to cheat on you? Just the other day, he had confessed his love to you. At least give him a chance to tell you if he is, which I don’t think he would do something like that. Baby, I saw the way he was looking at you, and that man loves you. Don’t do the same thing I did twenty-five years ago,” she said with her head down. Colby sat up. Something that her mother said caught her full attention.

“Mom, what are you talking about?” Colby said. Her mom sat on the bed next to her. “Colby, some of the things I’ve done in my lifetime I’m not proud of. And I regret a lot of things. Lord knows how many nights I was on my knees asking for forgiveness after the fact. And when I came here, that was one of my prayers to God. I wanted a better relationship with my daughter, and he gave me that.” She hugged Colby like she’s never done before. Tears started rolling down her mom’s cheeks. “I know I haven’t been the best mom, and I’ve been selfish in almost every aspect of my life. I did hold a grudge against you for a long time.” She let Colby go and turned Colby’s face so she could look into her eyes. “When your dad and I divorced, it took a huge toll on me. When he ed and gave you a bigger percentage of his life insurance, yes, I was mad. I said I gave this man half my life, and he didn’t even have the decency to leave me more money.” Colby pulled her face out of her hands and walked over to the dresser. Her mother didn’t follow her, but stayed on the bed. “Mother, I had no control on how much money Dad left me. So is that the reason, all these years we’ve never seen eye to eye. This whole entire time I thought it was me.” She turned toward the mirror to look at herself but saw her mother in it. A stream of tears was running down her face now. Colby didn’t know what to feel. There were so many emotions going through her at that moment. “Colby, let me finish. I started going to church, and I found a really good one. For the first time in my life, I felt that God was really listening to me, and I could hear him talk to me. He is cleaning me up from the inside out. Now every now and then, I revert back to my old ways of being selfish. But he always gets me back on the right track. And no it wasn’t your fault your dad left all that money to you. I see, looking at this house that you made good use of it.” She stood and walked over to Colby. Looking in the mirror back at her daughter, she said, “I’m so proud of you. You’re a strong, smart, loving, and confident black woman. I thought your dad cheated on me, and I held a grudge toward him for years. I found out that he never cheated. So, baby, I lost all those years because I never had the courage to ask him. But before he ed, we forgave one another. Call Mitch and find out the whole story, before you throw something good away. Okay, baby?” Her mom patted her on the arm and left the room. Colby’s head

was spinning, so she went to lay back down. It was too much for one person to have to go through in a day. Before she knew it, she had cried herself to sleep.

Mitch came out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He wasn’t expecting anyone to be in his room, so when he saw Kim in her teddy lying across his bed, he was confused, and he frowned up. “What are you doing in here, Kim?” he said in a tone she’s only heard a couple of times when he was mad. “I thought that we could become more than coworkers. I went out and bought this,” she said as she rose to her knees and swept her arm over her teddy. “Do you like it? I really like you, Mitch, and I just want us to be more than what we are.” She found herself talking fast, trying to get him to understand. “Kim, if you don’t get out of my bed and my room at this moment, you will not like the consequences that are going to follow. I have someone already in my life that I’m in love with, and you know that. So what possessed you to do something like this?” he said and threw his arms in the air. Kim scrambled off the bed, trying to make him reconsider. “But, Mitch, all that I’ve done for you. You don’t have any feelings for me outside of work. I’ll do and be whatever you want me to be,” she said as she grabbed his arm. Mitch pulled his arm out of her grasp. “Kim, you are my secretary. You’re supposed to take care of me while I’m at work. Don’t get work and our personal lives twisted. The only thing you did for me outside of work was that massage, and I stopped you a couple of minutes after you started. You’re going to make someone else very happy, but I’m not the one for you. Get out my room now, and I don’t want to ever see this side of you again. I’ll excuse you this one time. Do I make myself clear on this?” Mitch said as he watched Kim head to the ading door. Kim walked him like she had just lost her best friend. Before she got to the door, Mitch called her name. She turned around like he was going to change his mind. A big smile came across her face. “Kim, who were you taking to while I was in the shower?” he said with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Do you really want to know?” Kim said, not looking him in the eyes. She had seen his eyes turn a cold gray while he was talking to her. “Since it was my phone, yes. You know what, never mind, just leave. Hell, it’s my phone. I can see for myself.” He went and grabbed his phone and looked at the name. His eyes got big. Before he could turn around, Kim had already stepped out the door into her room and closed the door behind. She was hurt and so humiliated. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t want her. She threw herself on the bed and cried like a baby. He called Colby back and prayed that she would answer the phone, but the voice mail picked up. “Lord only knows what Kim told her. Come on, Colby, pick the phone up,” he said as he dialed her number again. He tried calling her all night, but she never picked up. He finally went to bed around midnight. He was so furious with Kim. Clint had told him about her, but he chose not to listen to him. Colby woke up to go to the bathroom and noticed she had missed several calls from Mitch. “What does he want? He has Kim to keep him company,” she said as she threw the phone back on the bed. When she got out of the bathroom, she put her night clothes on and got back in bed. “Let me try calling Colby one more time before I go to sleep.” He dialed her number once more. Colby felt her phone vibrate. She looked at the name and rolled her eyes. “What?” she said in a hateful tone. “Colby, I’ve been trying to call you all night,” he said in a loving voice. “Why are you calling me anyway? What, Kim didn’t satisfy you?” “What are you talking about?” “You know damn well what I’m talking about. So don’t play dumb with me,” she said, her voice raising an octave.

“Colby, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Calm down and tell me why you’re so upset,” he said still in a loving way. “Okay, play dumb if you want to,” Colby said as Mitch cut her off. “Colby, I really don’t know what you are talking about.” He was starting to get a little agitated by now. “You’re accusing me of something I don’t have a clue that I’ve done.” “Who was in your room today besides you?” “Kim was in here. Why?” “What’s going on between you and Kim that I should know about?” “Nothing, what are you talking about?” Mitch said, getting mad himself. “Look, Colby, I don’t know what you’re talking about, so if you can’t tell me what it is, I’m going to hang up so I can get some sleep.” “If you wanted Kim, why bother getting involved with me? You guys had to go out of town to be together. She told me everything. You’re not going to have your cake and eat it too. You can have her. I’m not going to compete with no other woman, because I don’t have to. I hope you and her have a good life.” On that note, Colby hung the phone up before Mitch could say a word. He wanted to call her back, but knew he would be wasting his time. Now he was just as furious as Colby was. He got out of the bed and paced the room. “I knew I heard Kim talking to someone. What did she tell Colby? I’m going to get to the bottom of this tonight.” Mitch put on some clothes and knocked on the ading door. Kim heard a knock at the door ing her and Mitch’s room. “I knew he would change his mind and give us a try,” she said as she jumped out of the bed. She ran over to the mirror to look at herself. “I looked better earlier, but this will have to do,” she said as she ran to answer the door. She swung the door open wide.

“Oh, Mitch, I knew you’d change your mind,” she said with a huge smile on her face. But once she saw the look he was giving her, her smile faded. “What the hell did you tell Colby?” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to look and sound innocent. “You do to know what the hell I’m talking about. You were talking to someone while I was in the bathroom. I heard you, so don’t stand here and lie to me in my face. You have one of two choices. Either you tell me the truth or you get your ass on the first plane headed back home. And you better have your desk cleaned out before I get back. I’m going back to my room now, and you think long and hard tonight about which one it’s going to be.” Mitch turned around and slammed the door behind him before she could get a word out. He was so mad. Kim couldn’t believe what had just taken place. He’s going to fire me if I don’t tell him the truth. What am I going to do now? I need this job. I really messed up now, she thought. She was all cried out, she thought, but a fresh round of tears flowed down her face. She slid down the closed door and wept. She stayed there for twenty minutes before she made it to her bed. Mitch took off his clothes and climbed in the bed. He didn’t know how much sleep he was going to get since it was already one thirty in the morning, and they had to be at the meeting at eight. He closed his eyes and prayed until he forgot what he was praying, because sleep over took him.

CHAPTER 33

Colby couldn’t sleep, and she needed someone to talk to. She punched in some numbers. “Come on, answer the phone.” When someone finally picked up and all she heard was yelling and screaming, then the phone went dead. She set straight up in the bed. “Oh my goodness.” She called the number back, but got no answer this time. She jumped out of the bed, threw on some clothes, ran out of the house, and hopped in the car. She drove like a man to Logan’s house to see what was going on. It took her only five minutes that’s usually a fifteen-minute drive. Once she pulled up to the house, she noticed that Andre’s car was there. Some lights were on in a couple of rooms. She parked in the driveway and fumbled with the keys on her way up to the door. She finally got to the door and put her ear up to it to try and hear any noise. She knocked loud on the door, and no one answered it. She called Logan’s phone again and nothing. She knocked one more time to give them a chance to answer. She put the key in the lock to open the door when the door swung open. Andre stood on the other side sweating and breathing hard. Colby looked him into the house to see if she could see Logan. “Hey, Colby, what are you doing here?” Andre spat out. “Where’s Logan?” Colby said, pushing him. She searched the living room and then the bedrooms. She walked back in the living room where Andre was standing. “Where is she, Andre?” She was infuriated. She dared him to move with the way she was looking at him. Andre gave her back the same stare. Colby stepped up to him. “Let me tell you one thing. If you put your hands on my best friend, you and I are going to have a misunderstanding. Now let me find her with any bruises on

her, and your ass will be in jail. Do I make myself clear?” Colby said through clenched teeth and squinted eyes. “And who do you think you are?” Andre said, not moving a muscle. “I’m going to be your worst nightmare. Now get the hell out this house before I call the cops.” Andre turned and left the house. Colby shut the door behind him, and then she went to find Logan. “Logan, where are you?” She looked everywhere in the house. Finally she heard a noise coming from the closet. She ran over to the door and found Logan hiding behind some clothes. “Logan, oh my, what is going on? Look at me.” Colby knelt down beside her. “Logan, how long has this been going on? Talk to me, Logan.” Logan just sat in the closet, not responding to Colby. Colby grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the closet. Logan didn’t resist. They sat on the bed. Logan didn’t have any bruises on her face or arms, but when she pulled up her shirt, she had a big black-and-blue mark on her back. “How did you know to come here?” Logan said with a tear-stained face. “I called because I needed someone to talk to. And when I heard you screaming in the background, I knew something wasn’t right, so I came right over. We need to go to the hospital and also get a restraining order on him,” Colby said concerned for her friend. “No, Colby,” Logan said, looking down. “No, what are you talking about no? If he’s been abusing you, Logan, that’s not right. You are not a punching bag or anything else he dishes out to you. You are better than this, and you deserve better,” Colby said, trying to get Logan to understand. “Colby, it’s not his fault. I shouldn’t have yelled at him when he told me not to.” Colby couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Logan, if anyone did this to me, you would be all over them, and you would ban me from ever seeing or talking to them. What has gotten into? You’d never let anyone put their hands on you. What’s different with him?” Colby looked at her with disbelief. “I love him, and he loves me. Sometimes we have disagreements that turn bad.” Colby got off the bed and started pacing. She stopped in front of Logan. “I don’t agree with any of this. You don’t deserve anyone hitting on you when you make him mad or disagree with him. He’s not a real man, and he doesn’t love you.” She knelt down in front of her. “Honey, if you don’t love and respect yourself, no one else will. And you’ll put up with this abuse. I can’t make you do anything, but I hope you do something about this. Is this the first time he’s hit you?” Logan didn’t say anything, but shook her head no. Colby stood up. “Logan, why are you putting up with this? Don’t you know he is not going to stop hitting you? What, he tries to make up for it by buying you gifts?” Colby was so pissed off. All the issue she was going through was way back in the back of her mind. “If you don’t have the nerves to do something about it, then I’ll do it for the both of you. You both need help.” Colby got her phone and dialed the cops. “What are you doing, Colby?” Logan said as she got off the bed trying to hang the phone up. “Oh, you want to fight me and not fight the man who’s hitting you. You have me confused. I’m calling the cops whether you like it or not. He needs to know he messed with the right one at the right time. No one puts their hands on my family and think they can get away with it.” Colby was all wound up when the cops got there. The cops took statements and pictures of the bruises. Logan just sat there motionless; she didn’t have the strength to move. The cops finally left, and Colby sat there with her until she finally went to sleep. Colby finally made it home around six in the morning. She told her mom what happened at Logan’s house last night at the breakfast table. “Poor thing, Colby, you know until she makes up in her mind that she deserves

better, there is nothing you can do but be there to her. You may not like her decisions, and don’t get mad at her if she goes right back to him,” her mom said. “But, Mom, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would you stay with a man that treats you like that? He’s good, because he hits her where no one can see the bruises.” “Baby, all we can do is pray that the Lord gets her out of that relationship before something bad happens to her or him.” “I’ve had a bad feeling about him ever since I met him. He would shower her with big expensive gifts all the time. I never said anything to her because I didn’t want her to think I was jealous of her with him buying her gifts,” Colby said, looking at nothing in particular. “Well, it’s sad. You never know what a person goes through, and at one point or another everyone has their own battles to deal with. You better get to work before you’re late,” her mom said, looking at the clock. “Thanks for breakfast. I’m sure she may not be at work today,” Colby said, getting up from the table to put her plate in the sink. “You’d be surprised how many women go through hell at night and put their work mask on like nothing ever happened. If she’s there, let work be work and personal life be personal life. Until she’s ready, Colby, just leave it alone.” “Okay, Mom, it’s going to be hard, but I’ll listen to you.” Colby shook her head and walked to the door. “She’ll come around, just give her some time,” her mom said as she followed her to the door.

CHAPTER 34

Mitch had to drag himself out of the bed this morning. He couldn’t wait to get this meeting over and get back home. He had a lot to get straightened out between Colby and Kim. He showered, got dressed, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. He didn’t see Kim yet and wondered if she had left. He fixed him a plate and sat at a table. After he finished eating, he called Clint. “Hello, what’s going on, man? Are you guys ready for today?” Clint said. “Yes, man, I should have listened to you. Don’t you know Kim tried to make a at me last night?” Clint tried so hard not to laugh. “I’m not going to tell you I told you so, but what happened?” Mitch retold the store to Clint. “I don’t see her this morning, so I don’t know if she decided to leave and clean out her office once she got back or not. Oh, never mind, here she comes. Man, I’m so mad right now I can spit fire,” Mitch said as he got up from the table. “Calm yourself down, Mitch. Just get through this meeting, and you will be able to handle the rest of this stuff when you get back. Be nice to Kim in front of them. When you guys get back, we’ll have a meeting about that incident. Hey, Mitch, I have to go. I have another call coming in. Nail this contract, and I’ll see you later tonight,” Clint said. “Yeah, I’ll see you later,” Mitch said. Kim walked up to him. “Mitch, I want to apologize for my reckless behavior. I shouldn’t have done any of that stuff,” she said, looking at him in his eyes. His eyes were still cold gray. All he did was nod his head.

“Here’s our ride,” he said as he walked her and out to the car. She followed him out the door. They didn’t say two words to each other the whole time they were in the car. Once they got to the office, Mitch interacted with her as little as possible. They were able to seal the deal. The plane ride back home was awful. Besides the silence that loomed between them, they ran into a lot of turbulence. Kim hated planes, and now she couldn’t even grab him to feel safe since they had a bumpy ride home. When they landed, they went straight for baggage claim to get Kim’s bag. While waiting for her bag to come around, Mitch walked away to call Colby. He dialed her cell phone, and no one answered, so he called her house phone. “Hello,” a sweet voice came over the line. “Is Colby there?” “No, she isn’t. She’s still at work. Can I take a message?” “Yes, Mrs. Washington, this is Mitch. Do you know what time she’ll be in?” “Hey, Mitch, how are you doing?” she said in a sincere voice. “I’m okay, and you?” “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but I tried to talk some sense in my daughter’s head last night. I hope she does the right thing. Is there anything you’d like for me to do?” her mom said. “Yes, can you call me when she gets home?” he said. “I sure will, baby. Oh wait a minute. That sounds like her pulling into the garage now. Yes, it’s her.” “I’m on my way over,” he said rushing off the phone. He walked back over where Kim was standing at and told her he was going to get the car. He didn’t want anything to delay him from getting to Colby. He was grateful that her mom had come around to like him. By the time he pulled up, Kim was waiting outside for him. She got in the car and sat quietly in the seat. “We are going over to Colby’s house, and you’re going to tell her the truth. After

that we have a meeting at the office with Clint and Mrs. Thompson to talk about your career with the company.” He didn’t even look at her while he was driving. She chose not to look at him, but kept looking out of the window.

Colby came in the house and put her things on the counter. Her mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. She had gotten used to her mom being at home when she got off from work. “Hey, baby, how was work? Did your friend show up?” her mom asked. “Work was good. Logan did come in after lunch. And just like you said, she acted like nothing happened. Since she didn’t mention anything about it, I didn’t say a word either. I told her I would call her later, and we would talk then. I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together since both of us have boyfriends. Do you think that’s why she didn’t confide in me?” Colby said as she washed her hands and helped her mom finish cooking. “Sometimes, baby, distance can put a strain on any relationship. She was probably too embarrassed to say anything to you.” “You think?” Colby said, shaking her head. “Yes, but have you spoken to Mitch today?” her mom asked, looking at her. “No, I haven’t,” is all Colby said. “Well, you can’t keep avoiding him. You’re going to have to deal with it sooner or later,” her mom said, setting the table. “I know, Mom, but I need time to think,” Colby said as she fixed her plate and set at the table. Just as she sat down, the doorbell rang. “I wonder who that is,” Colby said as she got up from the table. She walked to the door and looked through the peephole. She stepped back and opened the door. In walked Mitch and Kim. Colby didn’t say a word. Mitch saw how hurt Colby was, so to break the silence, he spoke first. “Hey, Colby, we stopped by to tell you the truth. Go ahead, Kim,” Mitch said.

Kim looked from Colby to Mitch. “What, a cat got your tongue? You weren’t scared to say all that shit on the phone, but now we’re face-to-face and your ass is scared,” Colby said as she approached her. The other side of her was coming out. Colby’s mom heard her daughter and rushed out of the kitchen. Mitch and Kim saw her, but Colby was so mad she couldn’t see anyone but Kim. Her mom grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Calm yourself, Colby. Let the woman talk. I’m sure she has a lot to say,” her mom said with her hands on her hips. Kim’s heart was beating so loud she thought everyone could hear it. She sat down on the couch, but before she could get comfortable, Colby said, “No, Kim, get your ass up. You’re going to look me in my face and tell me the truth.” Colby stepped to her again. This time Mitch pulled her back. Kim got off the couch with shaky legs. “I . . . I . . . want to apologize for all the things that I told you on the phone. Nothing happened between Mitch and me. He turned me down and told me to leave his room when he found me in his bed. He told me that he was in love with you and that there’s nothing I can do for him. Again, Colby, I want to apologize for all the problems that I may have caused you and him. You are a better woman than me. I made all that up, because I wanted him so badly,” Kim said as she started crying. “That doesn’t faze me, honey, so you can dry those tears up. Your ass should have thought about all that before you chose to walk down that road. I told you, you were going to get your feelings hurt messing with me,” Colby said, pointing her finger in Kim’s direction. Colby didn’t’ feel a bit sorry for her, and you could tell in her voice. Mitch finally stepped in. “We have a meeting at work with a couple of people to see what’s going to happen to her. Colby, as soon as I’m done there, I’ll be back over. We still need to talk. Kim, you can go to the car now,” Mitch said as he walked over to where Colby was standing. He kissed her on the forehead and walked out the door.

“Wow, that was something,” her mom said. “Girl, I thought you were going to whoop her tail. You scared me for a second. That’s why I had to pull you back.” Colby just shook her head. “I was this close”—she put up two fingers up to show how close she was —“from smacking her. All I could see and hear was her. She just doesn’t know how close she came. I can’t believe it. She did all of this for what, to try and break us up?” Colby said. “It almost worked. Mitch called before you got home and told me he was coming over here with her. I told you he was a good man and try to listen to both sides of the story. Never just listen to one side. Especially if it comes from a woman that wants your man. Now let’s go and eat. The food is getting cold.” They sat down at the table to eat.

They didn’t say anything on the ride over. Mitch and Kim made it back to the office, and everyone had already left for the day. They rode the elevator to their work floor. Kim was a wreck by the time the door opened. “Mitch, I’m so sorry. Do we have to go through this?” she said, trying to plead with him. “Kim, there are always consequences to every action you make. I have no control over what happens in there. Let this be a lesson to you,” he said as he walked in the office. Kim followed behind him. When they walked in the room, Clint and Mrs. Thompson were sitting around the table talking. When they saw Mitch and Kim, they stopped talking and took care of the task at hand. The meeting lasted about thirty minutes. Mitch wasn’t happy about the decision, but like he said, he had no control in the matter. After Kim and Mrs. Thompson left, Mitch and Clint stayed to talk. “What has Colby said about all of this?” Clint said. “Man, I thought Colby was going to smack the shit out of her. Her mom and I had to pull her back a couple of times. But I don’t blame her for being so mad. I

think Kim got what she deserves. Now I have to go and smooth things out with Colby. It’s just one more trial that we’ve overcome. So hey, man, I’m tired. And I’m going over to Colby’s. I’m taking tomorrow off, so don’t call me,” Mitch said as he got up from the table and walked out. Mitch made it back to Colby’s house. Her mom opened the door when he rang the doorbell. “Oh, come on in, baby. We are in the kitchen eating. Have you eaten anything yet?” “No, ma’am, but it sure smells good,” Mitch said. “Well, come us,” her mom said. She got a plate out of the cabinet and fixed him one. Colby looked up, and her heart stopped. Their eyes locked, and all the issues they were having seemed to melt away at that very moment. He winked at her, and it sent butterflies all through her body. He sat down next to her then grabbed her hand and kissed it. She continued to look at him, and she read his lips, “I missed you.” She mouthed back, “Me too.” They sat at the table with her mom and made small talk. “Dinner was really good, Mrs. Washington,” Mitch said. “You can call me Deloris,” she said with a smile. “Yes, ma’am. Is today your last day?” “Yes, I’ll be leaving in the morning. I had a good time with my daughter. And then I got to meet her wonderful boyfriend. Believe me, I’ll be back really soon.” “How about next month, Mom? I have really enjoyed you being here. I’ve had supper cooked every day, and I haven’t learned how to cook anything since you’ve been here. So, Mom, you’re going to have to come back and stay longer next time.” She looked at Mitch, and he agreed by shaking his head. Those words sounded like music to her ears. That’s all she prayed for—to have a good relationship with her daughter, and again the Lord answered her prayer.

“I’ll be back next month, and I can’t promise I’ll stay a month, but it will be close to it. I’ll drive up here, so I can have my own car.” “No, fly in again, and I’ll go buy you a nice used car. Then you don’t have to put all those miles on your car.” “You’d do that for your mom?” she said with a big smile on her face. “Yes, Mom, I will do it for you. Matter of fact, I’ll go out this weekend and look for one,” Colby said. “We will go out this weekend and look for one,” Mitch chimed in. They all started laughing. “Let me know when you have my car, and I’ll be back down. You need to know how to cook for your husband. That’s when you get one.” She looked over at Mitch. “Isn’t that right, Mitch?” “You’re right, Deloris. I want my wife to be able to cook just like you. Now it may take her more than you just coming down one or two times. But I know my baby will get it eventually,” he said with a wink and a big smile. Colby gave him a love tap on his hand. “Ya’ll know I’m still in the kitchen right,” she said, laughing. “I’m going to be better than my mom in the kitchen. Now what do ya’ll have to say about that.” Mitch and Deloris looked at each other and started laughing. “That’s not funny,” Colby said, pretending to cry. “Oh, baby, you can do anything you set your mind to do. Now cooking better than your mom is going to take some time and a lot of practice. But I’ll be right here to encourage you on. I’ll even be your guinea pig, baby,” he said in a loving way. “Since I cooked I’m sure you two can handle the clean up. I need to go start packing,” her mom said then left the kitchen.

Mitch and Colby cleaned the kitchen in silence. They knew they still had a lot to talk about. After the kitchen was cleaned, Mitch grabbed her hand and led her to the couch. They sat down, and he faced her. “Colby, we’ve been through a lot these past two weeks, but we’ve been able to make it through. I know being with you we’ll probably have more issues than the average couples, but I’m willing to go the distance with you. I love you so much,” he said. She noticed his eyes had turned a dark green. “And that stunt Kim pulled yesterday was totally uncalled for. If I feel I need to cheat on you, I’d rather call it quits before I do anything like that. Not saying that I would cheat on you. Baby, we have to trust each other and communicate with each other. If we can’t do that, we won’t have a good foundation to finish building our relationship on.” “You’re absolutely right. I’m sorry that I didn’t give you a chance to explain the situation and for jumping to conclusions. She had my blood boiling. I was going to jump all over her if she would have gotten smart with me like she did on the phone. She better be glad you guys were here.” “Baby, you would fight for me?” “I’ll whoop a heifer’s butt messing with my man,” she said as she threw a punch in the air. They both started laughing. He reached over and hugged her like there was no tomorrow. “What’s going to happen to Kim?” Colby asked in his ear. He broke the hug off. “She has been suspended for a week. Then when she comes back, she’ll be working for someone else. I’ll have to get me a new secretary. Are you happy with your job?” he asked with a smile on his face. “I am very happy with my position.” “Well, you know the offer still stands if you get unhappy with your job,” he said with raised eyebrows.

“No, I’m not going to work with you, because the first heifer that walks up in your office flirting ya’ll have to fire me for fighting,” she said laughing. “I got a fighter on my hands,” he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her ionately.

The End