GoingUp (6 page)

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

The sultry-sweet tone of Koko’s voice pulled Reese from his
musing. With a ready smile on his face, he looked over at her. She stood in
front of the full, door-length mirror that hung inside his bathroom door. The
extra space for the private washroom had seemed such a waste to him when it was
first proposed, but now he’d have to tell Malachi it was worthwhile after all.

Because of the washroom, they didn’t have to go stumbling
around the building late at night, looking for public restrooms to clean up.
They simply made a quick trip to his office. He’d used the bathroom first,
leaving her the opportunity to linger as long as she wanted once it was her
turn. It hadn’t taken her long to clean up and get dressed, much to his dismay.
He was really enjoying having her around.

As if sensing his stare, Koko glanced over with amusement
brimming in her eyes. “Well.”

“Well what?” Obviously he’d missed something.

“I asked what you were thinking about so hard.”

Ah, that was an easy answer. “I was thinking of you.”

“You’re thinking of me and frowning.” Her face slipped into
the exact same expression as she came toward him. “That’s not good.”

“No, it was very good. I’d have to think most thoughts about
you automatically would be.”

“Then smile, damn it.” She lightly smacked his arm
teasingly, bringing a quick grin to his face. “You’ll have those guards out
there thinking I kicked your puppy instead of rocked your world.”

He took her hand in his and pulled her in closer to him. “As
long as they keep their thoughts to themselves, I pretty much don’t care what
they think about my personal life.”

“Oh ho ho.” A flash of humor crossed her face. “You don’t
want them tarnishing your good name.”

She couldn’t have been further from the truth if she tried.
“It’s not my name I’m worried about.”

“Me?” Koko pulled back, momentarily rebuffed. “You’re worried
about them saying something about
me
?”

“Of course.”

Her eyes softened. “You do realize there’s nothing you can
do to stop them if they did.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, because the first time someone
says something discourteous about you and I hear about it…” His mouth thinned
with displeasure at the thought. “It will be the last time they say anything.”

“You just going to keep swatting at the rumor mill until it
goes away?” she teased.

“No, a rumor is like a fly. If you pull off its wings, it
dies.”

“And the guards?”

“If they badmouth you, they’ll be gossiping from the
unemployment line out of busted lips.”

“Wow.” Koko laid her hand gently against his chest. “Look at
you getting all knight in shining on me.”

“That’s me, looking for a dragon to slay.”

She patted his chest then pulled her hand away. “Well, come
out to the front with me and use your knight-like skills to get a taxi to stop
for me.”

“Taxi?”
What the hell.
“You don’t have to do that. I
can give you a ride.”

“I’m sure you can, but it’s not a requirement.”

“Sure it is. One of my requirements.” There was no way in
hell he was going to toss her in the back of a taxi and expect the night to be
over.

“I’m a big girl.”

He could tell Koko was used to getting what she wanted, but
so was he. “I assure you, I’m well aware of your big-girl status.”

“Then you should know I can take care of myself,” she said,
turning her considerable charms toward him.

“Oh, I see how this usually goes. You flash a smile and bat
those pretty brown eyes, and whoever you’re talking to normally caves.” He
arched a brow. “Right?”

“Pretty much.”

“Yeah.” He shook his head. “That’s not going to work on me.
I’m taking you home.”

“Reese.”

“You can ‘Reese’ me to your heart’s content, it’s still
happening. If you’re worried I’m going to try to come up, don’t. If you want,
I’ll close my eyes and you can give me directions. I can’t guarantee our safety
with that plan, but if your goal is not to let me know where you live, I’m
willing to give it a try.”

Koko’s lips quirked into a smile. “We just had sex, I think
you can know my address. You don’t have to take it to such an extreme.”

“And you don’t have to argue with me just to prove your
independence. I see you, Koko, but now I need you to see me.” He picked her up
and swung her onto his desk so they were a bit more eye to eye. “In my line of
work, I’ve seen the worst of humanity and I’m willing to trample over a bit of
your pride in order to give me a sense of peace tonight and know you made it
home safe and sound.”

“Bossy much?”

He couldn’t disagree. “Call it what you want, but hear me.
And hear me clearly. I’m. Taking. You. Home.”

Koko wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s not an act, is
it?”

Reese was a bit apprehensive of the change in her demeanor,
but he was willing to play along. “What?”

“The knight thing. It really is just who you are.”

He chuckled at the comparison. “I wouldn’t say knight, but
yeah, I tend to do the protective thing. I’m hoping you can get used to it.”

She pulled back slightly and tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because if you don’t, it’s going to make our next date a
little bit awkward.”

Koko arched an eyebrow. “Next date?”

“If you’d like to see me again that is.” He tried for
humble, even though everything in him was saying
Claim this woman
.

“I’m sure according to some good-girl handbook I’m supposed
to wait like two days before I let you know if I’m interested in seeing you
again.”

“Fuck the handbook.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“So tomorrow?” He might be pushing her, but he figured he
had nothing to lose, and looking at Koko, everything to gain.

“Move fast, don’t you?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know any other way.”

“I like that.”

“I like you,” he said with all honesty. “And I’d really like
to see you again.”

Her expression softened. “Just one more thing we have in
common.”

* * * * *

Six o’clock couldn’t come any quicker for Koko, not that it
was even close. It was barely eleven forty-five, eons before she was off.
Though she loved her job and enjoyed the freedom being a business owner
entailed, some days she couldn’t wait to get home and wash the smell of
lunchmeat off her. Today she was a little bit more hyped up than normal and it
had more to do with Reese than her shower.

They were going on their second date tonight, and if it was
anything like their first, it was going to be a hell of a night.

“Hand me the bowl of pasta salad so I can add more to it
before the lunch crowd gets in.”

“Sure.” Koko glanced over at Constance, her best friend and
business partner. “Did you check the date on the bottom of the container?”

The pretty African-American woman rolled her eyes. “Of
course.”

“Look at you,” Koko teased. “Just like herpes, you’re all
over it.”

Constance grimaced and glanced around the empty deli as if
making sure Koko’s comment wasn’t overheard by their non-existing customers.
“Okay, that was gross.”

“Thank you very much. I’m here all week.” Koko bowed,
tickled at her friend’s reaction. The two women were as close as sisters, which
meant Koko knew exactly which buttons to push to get reactions out of her
friend. “Don’t forget to tip your waitress.”

“You should have been a comedian.”

“And miss out on peddling sandwiches with you? Never.” Koko
pulled back the sliding door to the refrigerated glass display and pulled out
the bowl her coworker requested. “Here you go.”

“Thanks. Want to go catch a movie?” Constance asked as she
began to transfer the food over. “It’s Lonny’s poker night and tonight they’re
holding it at our house, which means if I’m there I turn into little
Superwife.”

“As much as I would like to save you from that fate, I
can’t. I have a date,” she said, probably a little more cheerfully than she
should have.

“With who?”

Koko frowned at the ridiculousness of the question. “What do
you mean with who? Reese, of course.”

“Don’t ‘of course’ me. How was I supposed to know?”

“’Cause I’ve been talking about him all day?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Constance stopped what she
was doing to turn and look at Koko. “You barely know the guy. If you’re so
desperate for a date, I could hook you up wi—”

Koko didn’t let her friend finish before she started shaking
her head. “First, I’m not desperate and second, thanks, but no thanks.”

“You don’t even know who I was going to say.”

“And I don’t need to know them. I know you, and that’s
enough to guarantee anyone you might suggest is an automatic no.”

“What, if they’re not kinky, you’re not interested?”

“Pretty much.” Koko figured that much should have been
obvious. She and Constance had been friends since high school. Koko had been
just as much of a freak then as she was now, she just didn’t have anyone to be
freaky with.

“Your standards are warped.”

Koko had to give her that one. Constance wasn’t wrong. “They
work for me, princess, and that’s all that matters.”

“No, it isn’t. Let’s talk about this realistically. What do
you know about this guy?”

“Let me see.” Koko straightened and stretched her back. “He
dresses to the left, he likes to eat pussy like I like to eat cheesecake, and
if fucking were an Olympic sport, last night he brought home the gold.”

Constance paused in the midst of pulling off a section of
plastic wrap and grimaced. “Less is more.”

If Constance hadn’t been dark complected, Koko would have
sworn her friend was blushing. Which of course made Koko want to tease her all
the more. “Less is never more. Don’t ask me questions if you don’t want to know
the answers.”

“I do want to know the answers, but just to the questions I
ask.”

Koko leaned back against the display case. “I did answer
your question.”

“Not really. I mean come on. What do you really know about
him?”

“The same I would know about any guy I’d go on a first date
with. Where he works, if he’s married, if we’re compatible in the bedroom,
which by the way,” Koko revved her eyebrows, “that last one is a check-check.”

Constance rolled her very expressive brown eyes. “How would
you know? You only had him in the elevator.”

Koko smiled at the memory. “Let me rephrase then, if we’re
sexually compatible in general.”

“This is not the stuff normal people learn on their first
date.”

“The lucky ones do.” Many times during the course of their
friendship, Koko had pitied Constance’s husband for what had to be the most
lackluster sex life in the world. Still, the man seemed to love Constance
something fierce and that was all that mattered in the end. “And besides, who
wants to be normal?”

“Obviously not you.” Her friend turned back to the sandwich
workstation abruptly.

From the stiff set of Constance’s shoulders, Koko could tell
the subject was really bothering the other woman. Sighing loudly, Koko walked
over to her friend and laid her hand gently on her shoulder. “Look, I get it.
When God was handing out promiscuity, I took my portion and yours too because
you know I hate to see anything go to waste.” Constance lips twitched at the
inside joke. “But I’m not going to let you try to make me feel bad. I’m a
grown-ass woman. I went out on a date of sorts with a man I find devastatingly
attractive, charming and funny. And because of all that, I fucked him caveman
style in an elevator just hours after meeting him. End of story.”

“I don’t want to make you feel bad. I just worry about you.”
Constance turned her worried gaze toward Koko. “You have to see this can’t go
anywhere.”

“Why, because I didn’t meet him through a friend or at a
church social?”

“No, because relationships built only on sexual chemistry
rarely last.”

The urge to kick her friend was growing stronger and
stronger. “Right, so that accounts for the high divorce rate. Only those people
break up. Not normal, good people.”

“You’re just twisting my words.”

“And you’re getting worked up over nothing. I’m not trying
to marry him. I’m just trying to have as much sex with him as I can before
either his cock falls off or I chafe.”

“Stop with the gros—” The bell of the door dinged, signaling
a customer. Both women went right into work mode, turning around to face the
counter with big smiles on their faces.

“Good morning.” Koko walked over to the order end of the
counter. “What can I get for you today?”

The heavyset man didn’t bother to look up at the menu they’d
painstakingly hung over the carving table. His beady little gaze was focused
directly on Koko in a very unnerving way.

Trying her best to keep the motto of “The customer’s always
right” in mind, she overlooked his sleaziness and tried once again. “Sir, can I
interest you in a Baja sandwich? It has grilled chicken, provolone cheese,
avocado, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and chipotle mayo on toasted ciabatta bread,
you also get chips or a side salad with it, and a drink for a reasonable
price.”

“Reasonable price?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “We like to think so. You can also do
just half a sandwich for a little bit less. How’s that sound?”

“It’s not exactly what I’m in the mood for.”

Koko glanced over her shoulder at Constance, and they shared
a look of “One of those customers” with each other before she turned back to
face him with a bigger smile. “Turkey perchance, or ham?”

“I think I want the same thing you gave my boss.”

“Your boss?” She ran her gaze over his uniform. It only took
a few seconds for her to remember the men who let her in the building last
night wore similar clothes. “Oh, you work at Sarraf Towers.”