Page 189 of Prickly Romance

Akira drives us as usual. She asks no questions about the dinner. I assume my mother has already told her everything.

The morning is quiet.

Dejonae greets me at work after her class. She shows no sign of trauma from the night before.

The day passes and bleeds into another.

Two days.

Three.

A week.

Two weeks.

My mother returns to Japan.

I relay Dejonae’s greetings myself, not wanting her to suffer any cold words from my mother’s lips.

After returning from the airport, I get a call from Adam. We discuss the MTB fervently until I sense a presence at the door of my office.

Dejonae is leaning against the doorway, one jean-clad leg propped over the other. Her lips arch up in wicked invitation.

“I apologize, Adam. Can you repeat that?” I ask.

He speaks, but the words slip out of my head like slime.

Embarrassing.

Almost as bad as the nights in bed with a cell phone plastered to my ear, listening to Dejonae talk about her day, her dreams, her challenges. Helping her work through them with a different perspective. Laughing about things that only we can understand.

These days are almost a little too easy, time slipping away in a brush of the calendar on the wall.

“It’s time for the weekly management meeting. Should I hold the elevator…boss?”

My lips curl up. “Thank you, Miss Williams.”

I abruptly end the call with Adam, shut off my laptop and walk beside her to the elevator. We keep a professional distance. But once the doors slide shut, I obliterate the space between us and press her against the wall.

She smiles. “Careful. There are cameras.”

“What are you doing this evening?”

“Me? I planned to go see my parents. Why?”

“Your parents?” I contemplate it for a moment. “I’d like to join you.”

“What?” Her jaw drops.

The doors open.

I step away from her and calmly walk out.

Her legs struggle to maintain my stride. I slow down so we can walk in step.

Dejonae gives me a suspicious look. “Why do you want to meet my parents?”

“We have been dating for some time now.”

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