Close Quarters: A Novel (Zane Presents) (22 page)

“I’ve asked myself that question a million times. My head already knows the answer, but my heart still hopes things will change.”

“Have you told Ellis how you feel about his mother taking over your wedding?”

“Ad nauseam and it doesn’t make a difference. He views it as his mother providing much-needed assistance. I get that he’s trying to make us both happy, but somehow I feel I’m getting the short end of the stick.”

“You know how those mother-son relationships can be.”

“Yeah, a pain in the ass.” We both laughed and tapped glasses again. “How do you get along with Terrence’s mom?”

“When we first met, she kept me at arm’s length. She was pleasant enough, but she made sure I’d be around a while before she warmed up to me. Thankfully, we get along pretty well.”

“I can only pray that Bebe and I come to amicable terms.”

“Girl, with each passing day I learn just how important communication is in relationships, especially marriage. Keep trying to get through to Ellis and work on his mother if and when you feel like it. We’ve only known each other a short time, but if you ever need someone to talk to . . . ”

“I appreciate that, Dru.”

Dru’s sincerity made me smile. She wasn’t the first person to mention how important it is to communicate with your partner, but considering she was a professional therapist, it reinforced what I already knew. I would make a concerted effort to better express myself to both Ellis and his mother. Maybe they weren’t understanding what this wedding meant to
me
. Sometimes it’s difficult to think about a situation outside of your own viewpoint—I would make them see mine. I had to make them understand that a wedding is one of the most important days in a woman’s life. It was a day I had dreamt, fantasized and talked about since childhood. I needed to relay
my
vision for
my
wedding. I had yet to do that.

“Okay, I have to ask,” Dru said, interrupting my thoughts.

“Ask what?”

“About Malik.”

“What about Malik?”

“I’m just curious, I guess.”

“Curious about Malik? In what way?”

“There’s nothing between the two of you?”

I erupted with laughter. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, I’ve seen the way you are together. I mean, I could be misreading things, but I don’t think so.”

“That’s funny,” I said with amusement. “We’re just roommates. There’s nothing going on between myself and Malik.”

Dru laughed. “I’m sorry if I’m intruding. Terrence always says I analyze things a bit too much.”

“I’m going to agree with Terrence on that one,” I said, still chuckling.

“He is a fine specimen though, isn’t he?”

“Yeah and he knows it. You can’t tell Malik he isn’t God’s gift to women.”

“He’ll settle down eventually. He’s a nice guy. If you listen to Terrence tell it, there’s no one more reliable, honest or dependable.”

“Malik knows how to push my buttons, but I know if I need him for anything, he’d be there for me.” A smile crept across my lips.

“You see. It’s that expression on your face right now that made me ask you about Malik in the first place.”

I was puzzled by what Dru thought she saw. “Dru, please.”

“I’ve seen the same look on Malik’s face when he’s talking about you.”

Now
I
was curious. “Malik talks about me? What does he say?”

“Well, your interest is piqued all of a sudden,” Dru teased.

“I can imagine the stuff he says about me.”

Dru shook her head. “I’ve never heard Malik say anything negative about you. I’m serious. He doesn’t talk about you, per se; he mainly relays funny stories about the two of you. He told us about the shopping cart incident in the grocery store,” she said, stifling laughter.

“Malik is crazy,” I said, as I replayed the event in my mind. “He does make me laugh and I do enjoy his company. I might actually miss him when I move in with Ellis.”

“I hope your marriage to Ellis doesn’t mean the end of your friendship with Malik.”

“We are friends, aren’t we?” I asked pensively.

“I would say so, Melina, if not more.”

I playfully swatted at Dru. “Girl, you’re just as crazy as Malik.”

• • •

I went back to the office after lunch with Dru. I sat at my desk, leafing through a few spreadsheets, my mind wandering. I thought it was a little strange that Dru asked me about Malik. True, we had been spending more time together than usual, particularly going out to events. However, I didn’t think that we displayed any sort of feelings for one another. Malik was fun, and I loved when we got along, but there was nothing between us. I reflected on a few of our recent moments and smiled. I had to admit that I really enjoyed going to the baseball game, dancing with Malik at Terrence and Dru’s engagement party, movies and popcorn at home, and even when he cooked me dinner. I could acknowledge that lately there had been some tension between the two of us, but that’s all it was. Tension.

I gave this too much energy. I let Dru get in my head. She must’ve been really good at her job because if she had an influence on my thoughts after our casual lunch meeting, I could only imagine Dru’s impact on her patients that were paying for her expertise.

I grabbed my belongings and told Nadia I was leaving for the day. I had a few errands to run. My parents were arriving in two days and I wanted to be prepared for their visit. I had ordered them plush monogrammed bathrobes and big fluffy slippers that I needed to pick up from the boutique. I was also planning to cook dinner for everyone on Friday night and needed to go food shopping for the ingredients. I had seen a cooking show on television where the chef prepared authentic seafood paella served
sizzling in a large cast-iron paella pan. A meal shared family-style, paired with a nice Spanish white wine, would be a great way to stimulate great conversation. We were all staying at Ellis’s for the entire weekend, including Bebe. I was fairly optimistic about the visit. I figured since Bebe was all about putting up fronts that she would be on her best behavior for my parents. I wouldn’t be surprised if she pretended that she loved me to death. I also knew that if Bebe got the slightest bit out of line, my mother would deftly maneuver her back into place.

After picking up the robes, I stopped to purchase the wine, then for a manicure and pedicure. It was getting late and I still had to pack my bag for the weekend. I decided the food shopping could wait until Friday morning. My parents weren’t scheduled to arrive until late afternoon and Ellis would send the limo to collect them from the airport. I headed home. When I stepped from the car, I glanced up at the steel-gray clouds. Rain had to be on the way. I hurried up the stairs and into the apartment, dropping my bags on the living room sofa.

I was in my room pulling clothes from my closet when Malik came through the front door. Moments later, voices from the television in the living room blared through the apartment. The meteorologist on the weather channel was predicting snow, possibly heavy, in the next couple of days. I folded a sweater, placed it in my bag and went out to the living room.

Malik jumped when he saw me. “Shit! I didn’t know you were here.”

I held in my laughter. “I came in a while ago. They’re predicting snow? My parents are supposed to be flying in the day after tomorrow.”

“They’re forecasting snow for Friday night. They should be all right if their flight gets in before eight p.m. That’s when it’s supposed to start.”

“Oh, good,” I said, relief washing over me. “They’ll be here in the afternoon.”

“So what’s the plan? Are your parents staying here with us? Because if you need my room I can sleep on the couch.”

“No, thanks. We’re staying with Ellis for the weekend. I’m heading to Long Island tonight.”

“Sounds nice,” he said with zero emotion.

“So I’ll be out of your way all weekend. You don’t have to worry about seeing me until Monday night.”

“Cool.”

I returned to my packing and left Malik on the couch flipping through the channels. I sort of wanted to plop down and join him for a while, but I knew Ellis was waiting and would be calling to find out what was taking me so long to arrive.

I zipped my overstuffed bag and placed it by my bedroom door. My phone rang. It was Charlee and Giselle on three-way. I reminded them I’d be at Ellis’s and they could reach me over there if they were unable to get me on my cell phone.

I hung up with my girls and grabbed my bag. Malik was exactly where I had left him. Slumped on the couch. Mindlessly focused on the television. “You need help with your bag?”

I opened the apartment door. “Thanks, but I got it. Have a good weekend.” I stepped into the hallway.

Malik called out. “Do you need these bags?”

I turned around. I had forgotten about the robes I tossed on the sofa when I came in. I was supposed to gift wrap them.

Malik brought them over to the door. “Are you sure you can carry all of that stuff?”

I hefted my bag over my shoulder and took the two shopping bags from him. “I’m sure. Thanks, Malik.”

He smiled, moved in closer and then planted a soft kiss on my cheek. I don’t know why, but I returned the favor.

“Have a good time, Mel. See you when you get back.”

Malik closed the door before I had a chance to respond. I’m glad he did because I didn’t know why he kissed me, but even more strange, I wasn’t sure why I kissed him back.

T
he first thing I noticed when I opened the door to my office was that the lights were already on. The blinds had been opened and Kai was propped on the sofa, flipping through a portfolio.

She looked up when I came in. “Good morning,” she said with a smile.

“Morning.” I looked around to see if I could gather clues as to why she was in my office.

Kai puckered her lips and craned her neck in expectation of a kiss. I paused a beat before crossing the room to her. I leaned down and briefly touched my lips to hers.

“That’s all you got for me?” she asked.

“What’s up, Kai?” I said. It was too early for these games and I was feeling a little short on patience.

She sighed, then patted the sofa next to her. I took my time sitting down.

“I was going over the print ads for Sphere Electronics and found a problem,” she said.

I knew those ads inside out and there was nothing wrong with them. “What would that be?”

“The Sphere logos are missing.”

“Let me see that,” I said with more than a touch of annoyance in my voice. The ads were going live in two days.

Kai handed me the portfolio she had been flipping through. “It’s missing on this one and also the one with the animated characters.”

I scanned the pages. “These aren’t the final versions I submitted. You saw and approved the final ads. Who gave these to you?”

“I know. I saw the final ads and they were correct. I don’t know how this happened.”

“We better get this rectified.”

“Malik, there’s no way we can halt a national campaign that’s scheduled to launch in less than forty-eight hours.”

“Who said anything about halting the campaign? I said let’s get this rectified.”

Kai’s eyes darted around the office. She bit her bottom lip, then started fidgeting with her skirt. “All right, let’s meet in an hour in the conference room. I have a few calls to make and then we can try to sort this out.”

“Make it fifteen minutes. I want to get ahead of this problem.” I went over to my desk and picked up the phone. I was going to find out who was responsible for the imminent train wreck.

Kai turned to me on her way out the door. “Oh, I almost forgot. Gerry wants to see you in his office.”

I dropped the phone back into the cradle. “Now?”

She nodded.

“I don’t have time for Donner right now.”

“I’ll see you in fifteen minutes,” she said as the door closed.

• • •

I straightened my tie before I stepped into Donner’s office. He was behind his massive mahogany desk, glasses hanging off the tip of his nose.

“Mr. Donner, you wanted to see me?”

“Malik, sit down.” He had copies of the ads spread across his desk.

I took my time getting situated. “I was just reviewing those in my office. I plan to find out exactly how—”

“Malik, I thought you were ready for an account like Sphere. Obviously, I was wrong.”

“Mr. Donner—”

“At this level there’s no room for mistakes. No room for excuses. Sphere was your project. The ad campaign is supposed to launch in two days. Due to this mix-up, it won’t. This has never happened in the history of this company. Effective immediately, you are terminated from Newport and Donner.”

“I’m fired? Just like that I’m fired?” I loosened my tie. It was suddenly constricting around my neck. I stood up, my voice rising with me. “After all I’ve done for this company?”

Donner droned on, staying on message. “Your office has been packed up and security is waiting to escort you out.”

A security guard walked up behind me and motioned toward the door. I silently nodded my head at the guard.

Planting my hands on Donner’s desk, I leaned over him. “Remember this day. It will end up being one of your biggest regrets.”

I followed the guard through the office. The fair-haired boys stared, some poked their heads out of their office doors. I was led out like a common criminal. With each step toward the exit, the more pissed I became that I was providing their entertainment for the day.

The receptionist looked down at her computer screen as I passed her desk. The same woman that greeted me when I arrived in the morning and departed at night, avoided eye contact with me as if I was a stranger.

I was handed my box by another security guard waiting for me next to the elevators. Two security guards for the occasion? Donner must have really thought I was going to turn angry black man on
his ass. Instead, I calmly took my box, rode the elevator down to the lobby and exited the building.

• • •

The first person I called when I got home was my father. I kept him on the phone for over an hour, venting my frustration and anger. I couldn’t believe that I had just been fired. Donner couldn’t give a fuck about all of the hard work I had put into the Sphere project. He hadn’t given one iota of consideration to all the money that I had made his company over the years. His ass didn’t even give me an opportunity to address the problem. He blindsided me, caught me completely off guard, and fired my ass. No questions asked. My dad tried to get me to refocus my energy and concentrate on what the situation meant for my future—that I could move forward unencumbered. Carpe diem and all that shit, but I wasn’t in the mood for any pep talk. He wouldn’t let me off the phone until I promised that we’d meet up in a few days to rework the timeline for my business strategy. He was trying his best to keep me on track through the storm and as I reached for an unopened bottle of Patron, I was hurtling toward a derailment.