Who does he think he is?
A concerned expression flashed across Jeff’s face. “Looks like the boss’s reprieve is over now. He’s back on your case. Wonder what he has against you?”
Even though her heartbeat sped up a tad bit, she wasn’t going to let Carlton’s theatrics get to her. And she certainly wasn’t going to show the small piece of dread that tried to rear its head in front of her coworker. Her reputation for taking the best the ogre could give was at stake. Carlton needed to learn that he didn’t own her just because she’d slept with him.
“I don’t know. But I do know that I’m not going to just jump and run to his office because he snaps his fingers. I’m taking my time.” Latonya stood and started walking toward the door. She jokingly took slow baby steps to emphasize her point. “I think I’ll go put my photocopies down in my office and check my voice mail and e-mail before I see what His Royal Highness wants. Maybe he’ll see fit to calm down a bit before I get there.”
“Yes, and you can tell me all about it over dinner this evening.” Jeff walked with her and put his arm around her shoulder. “A beautiful, brilliant career woman like yourself needs someone she can bring it all home to. Someone she can vent to and blow off steam with—”
“Nice try, Jeff. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you settle for a phone call, if I don’t get too busy?”
Jeff stopped her and briefly let his thumb stroke her cheek. “Seriously, I just want you to know I’m here for you if you ever need anything. A shoulder to lean on. An ear to complain to. A boyfriend. A future husband and father of your children.” He flashed his devilish smile.
Latonya couldn’t help laughing. “You certainly know how to crack me up. You need to take your show on the road.”
“The show wouldn’t work without you. You’re my inspiration.”
“How ever do you come up with these? You must have a pickup line for every occasion,” she said as she suppressed the urge to laugh again. “Okay, I’ll call you later.”
Latonya took a calming breath and managed to make it to Carlton’s office.
Carlton told himself to act rational. There was no reason to be jealous of Latonya sharing a joke with Jeff Weatherby. No reason except that Carlton knew that Jeff had his eye on Latonya and was trying to woo her. Still, what Carlton and Latonya shared that weekend was special, he knew that without a doubt.
But each minute that passed caused more doubt to seep into his mind. What if she really didn’t feel the same way about him at all? His own mother taught him at an early age that women and their affections were fickle. Watching his mother move from one lover to the next while his father chased after her left an indelible mark on his mind. He’d hoped that Latonya was different.
When she finally came breezing into his office he didn’t think before he bit out his angry words. “When I tell you to come to my office, Latonya, you had better make speed getting here. Next time, I would suggest you beat me here if you value this job as much as you say you do.”
Folding her arms across her chest, Latonya narrowed her gaze. “I got here as soon as I could. What do you want?” she snapped.
“I want you to stop batting your eyes and grinning in the faces of my staff! Are you tempted to jump from my bed to Jeff’s after testing your womanly wiles?”
Her eyes bulged and her mouth fell open. “I don’t believe this! How dare you!”
He pounded his hand firmly on his desk. “No, how dare you? How dare you think that I would stand idly by and let you prance from one employee to another? The laughing, giggling and flirting with Jeff and the others stops today.”
Several emotions played across her face, ranging from anger to outrage. “To hell with you and to hell with this. I quit. I refuse to work like this. Consider this my resignation.” Latonya hurried out the door and slammed it behind her.
Carlton stared at the door as he tried to process what had just happened. He ran his hand over his head. Along with all the other emotions Latonya had him experiencing, jealousy was another one. He had never been jealous of anyone in his life. And he had never felt so possessive about anyone. He knew that she probably wouldn’t forgive him for acting so irrationally or behaving so badly. He also immediately knew that he had to try to make things better. Watching her walk out the door and seeing it close taught him yet another new thing about himself; he wouldn’t be able to take it if he really didn’t stand a chance with Latonya.
Storming into her office, Latonya grabbed her purse and briefcase. Harrington Enterprise could keep everything else if it meant she never had to see Carlton again. She almost knocked Jeff and Juan down on her way to the elevator.
“Hey, what got into you? You look like you could kill someone,” Juan joked.
“She just met with Harry Tres and I’m sure he was his usual pleasant self,” Jeff offered.
Latonya took a deep breath. She knew she couldn’t talk about what just happened between her and Carlton with them. She could feel the anger welling up inside of her and she feared that it would come out in tears. She hadn’t cried—in front of other people at least—since the day of her mother’s funeral. She would be damned if she would start because of Carlton.
She thought that they’d shared an emotional connection. He’d touched something deep in her soul that made her think he could be the one. She’d even let herself imagine what it would be like to be his wife and have his children. Once they dated for a while and got to know each other, of course. If he really believed that she would turn around and have sex with another man, then maybe it was just sex for him, after all.
She rode down in the elevator with Juan and Jeff in steaming silence.
“Hey,” Jeff said when they got off on the main floor. “You want to go have a drink with us and get some stuff off your chest?”
“No, Jeff.” She sighed. “I’m fine. I just quit my job and I don’t have a clue how soon I’ll be able to get another, but I’ll survive.”
She forced a smile and walked briskly away from them.
Chapter 8
When Latonya reached her home, she found her younger sister, Cicely on the sofa. Seeing her sister made Latonya reflect on the gravity of what she had just done. How could she have quit her job when Cee Cee had at least three more years of college left?
“What’s up, sis?” Cicely jumped up from the worn blue sofa and gave Latonya a hug at the door.
“What are you doing home?” Latonya asked as she noted that the night she’d planned to spend sulking and eating ice cream would have to be rescheduled due to Cee Cee’s unscheduled visit. “Last time I checked FAMU doesn’t have any holidays right now and you have Monday classes. Why aren’t you on campus?”
“Is that any way to treat your favorite baby sister?” Cicely faked a pout and plopped back on the sofa pulling Latonya with her.
“You’re my only baby sister. And I want to know why you’re in Miami instead of Tallahassee.”
Sending her sister to the historically black college Florida A&M University, meant a lot to Latonya. She wanted Cicely to get the full college campus experience that she’d missed out on by attending a predominantly white university in Miami. Latonya had been offered a partial tuition scholarship to Howard University and she’d wanted to go. Circumstances and a lack of money required that she stay home and commute.
Cicely had good grades and qualified for some scholarships from the United Negro College Fund, but the bulk of the tuition and housing fees came from Latonya’s paycheck. The sacrifice was worth it to see Cicely eventually do things like pledge a black sorority and take part in an active campus life, all the things she had wanted to do herself. Latonya didn’t like the idea of Cicely skipping out on classes.
“I got homesick and I wanted to see you and Gran. Plus, I was thinking, it’s not fair for me to be all the way in Tallahassee while Gran is recovering and you’re working, taking care of her and paying for everything.” Cicely folded her arms across her chest. “You went to the University of Miami and commuted while you worked and helped us out. I should do the same thing.”
Working in retail ever since she’d been a junior in high school had been a major source of income for Latonya. By the time she’d finished her MBA she was working as a manager in the small clothing store that catered to young women in their teens and twenties. The discount that she had there had come in handy for Cee Cee’s school clothes. If push came to shove, she could always go back and work there.
“No. I want you to attend FAMU. You love it there. You’re going to pledge Delta. You’re involved with the student government association. What’s the matter? Did something happen?” Latonya stared at her sister intently. Trying to figure Cee Cee out had always been a struggle. It seemed as if they’d both developed a way to keep the rest of the world ignorant to what they were really feeling inside.
