Page 11 of Own Me

I look away, trying to calm my growing anger. Finally, I force my eyes back to Chris. “Get out because you and I are completely done.”

“Fuck!” Chris swirls around and knocks a vase full of silk flowers onto the carpeted floor. I’m thankful the vase bounced off the carpet and didn’t break. “I’m sorry for saying that,” he continues. “It’s just the way you blurted out about fucking another man. It’s as if you had no remorse. It hurt me today when I saw your reaction to me with Stephanie. I felt like the lowest of the low, but you act like you have no regrets for what you did.”

“You did this to me, Chris. Was I that unimportant to you? Wait, don’t answer that because none of that matters at this point.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry. I may be a liar but believe me when I say I have love for you.”

“I have love for you too, Chris, but we are over. There is no salvaging what we lost.”

“Can I have a hug?”

I reach over and hug him. One thing for sure is that we are both at fault. I would be wrong to lay all the blame at Chris’s feet solely. People grow apart.

“Are you sure we can’t make this work?”

I shake my head. “It’s too late.”

He hangs his head and trudges out the door. I close the door behind him and realize I’m happy. I won’t waste another almost two years on a man who’s not my soulmate.

I’m glad Chris is out of my life. But now, I need to get Sterling out of my head even though I will never forget the feeling of the way he set my soul on fire. My body warms as imagery of our one night together fills my head. I give myself a mental shake. I must force myself to see the truth of what was and what is. Sterling and I had only one night, and I will never see that man again, and with that thought, I stroll to the sofa and stuff down my now-melted ice cream.

CHAPTER 6

Ayana

Monday morning arrives, and after a wild weekend and a breakup, I’m ready to jump into my duties at a new company with a new boss.I hope to God he’s as nice as my bosses over at Mid-Tech Corporation,I think as I park and get out of my car.

NexGen West Headquarters directly overlooks Walnut Grove Lake pier, giving it a magnificent backdrop that pairs with the breathtaking waterfront business district. I stroll into the building and see a security guard stationed near the entrance. He gives me a smile and a greeting which I return. I give him myname, and he directs me to a nearby glass elevator and tells me which floor to take.

The elevator doors slide open when I arrive at the correct level. I step onto white marbled flooring and head to the desk in the center of the room. I note abstract paintings are placed artfully against the white painted walls, and a line of file cabinets are against the opposite wall on the left side of the room.

“Hello, I’m Ayana Banks, and I'm here to see Mr. West,” I say with much more confidence than I feel.

The woman at the desk is efficiently dressed. Not a hair is out of place as it sits atop her head in a tidy bun. A few grey streaks glisten through her black strands. She looks to be near her mid-sixties.

“Good morning. Is Mr. West expecting you?” she asks, her glasses perched on the end of her nose as her clear grey eyes peer at me over the frames.

“Yes. I’m Mr. West’s new assistant. I was sent over from Mid-Tech Corporation.”

“Oh! I'm usually more efficient than this. This merger has me running around trying to find my tail! I don't know how this got by me,” she clicks away on the keyboard and stares at her computer screen. “Give me a moment, please,” she says and picks up her telephone. She presses a button and speaks. “Mr. Starks, there is a?—”

The woman apologizes to me when she asks me my name again.

“Ayana Banks,” I murmur.

“Yes, Miss Ayana Banks is here about Mr. West's assistant position. Do you want me to send her down?” She's quiet for a moment, then replies, “Yes, sir,” before hanging up the telephone.

Finally, the woman looks at me and says with a huge smile, “You can go down to HR on the second floor. Then, come backhere after filling out the necessary paperwork.” She motions down the hallway. “Mr. West's office is the last door at the end of the hall. You can head on in when you're done. I will make sure he's available to meet with you.”

“Thank you,” I reply. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Sorry! I’m Vanessa.” She stands, and we shake hands.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Welcome to NexGen West. You’ll love it here. Mr. West is wonderful.”

“Thanks again.” I take the elevator to the floor housing the HR division.

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