Page 51 of Business Casual

“Come on, Imani… Don’t be like that!”

The amusement in his voice almost caused me to burst out laughing. But I held strong. “Nah, it’s cool. I’ll get fast food while you eat like a king.”

“You don’t even know what it is.”

With my hand on the doorknob, I looked over my shoulder. “I know it’s homemade and you didn’t offer me any.”

“You can have anything I have, Imani.”

It was the way he said my name combined with the way he was looking at me. I felt the nervous fluttery feeling that I was able to ignore in lieu of our work. But without the task directly in front of me, it was hard to deny.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” I told him before rushing out of his office, closing the door behind me.

As soon as I turned the corner, Josephine looked up. I wasn’t sure if my face was flushed or I just looked guilty, but when she quirked an eyebrow at me, I knew it my gut something was off.

“Hey,” I said with a slight wave. “Off to lunch.”

She nodded. “Be careful, Ms. Jones.”

Nervous, I slowed my pace as I got closer to her. “What do you mean?”

Her stare was lethal. “On your way to your destination.”

“Okay…” Unsure of how to take what she said, I continued to the elevator. “Thank you.”

“Roadblocks are everywhere. Don’t create your own.”

“I’m just going to grab food and I’m coming right back,” I assured her. “Do you want something?”

“No but thank you.” Shaking her head, she answered the phone.

I thought about that exchange my entire way to the hole-in-the-wall Jamaican restaurant ten minutes away. I wasn’t in a rush to get back. I needed to clear my head and refocus my mind, so I asked to be seated at a table.

Only five months and three weeks left.

I was mentally drained already.

Imani Jones:It would be easier to resist him if I didn’t like him so much as a person.

Keisha Mann:You shouldn’t have gotten to know him.

I laughed out loud as I read her message. I put my phone down to place my order. When I was alone, I replied.

Imani Jones:I couldn’t help it! Like today for instance, we’ve been working one-on-one in preparation for this important meeting and he’s just so impressive. He’s funny and playful, but he can turn it off and be serious and focused. He doesn’t assume to know more than me and that is just so attractive—not just as a supervisor but as a man. He respects my specialty and defers to me. It’s sexy as hell! This is his fault.

My phone rang before I had a chance to put it back on the table.

“Hello?” I answered with a giggle.

“Girl, you are lying to me and yourself if you’re acting like this isn’t your own fault,” Keisha pointed out.

“How is it my fault? If anything, we should share collective blame.”

“Imani!”

“What? You encouraged me to fuck with him!”

“I said fuck him not fall for him!”

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