"Sorry, maybe another time," Alexander said.
"I'll be by your place," Jeffery said. "And when I come along, as long as you're home, we're hanging out. No arguments."
Alexander gave him a tight smile. "No promises."
He finally left, and Louis seemed relieved to see his boss in a neutral mood. Something about the big building had a way of dampening spirits no matter how rarely they came by.
On the ride back to Alexander's office, Louis filled his ears with the latest happenings with his new neighbor. After he had given her the flowers Alexander had handed him, he asked her out for a date. Not exactly a date, Louis described it, more like a hangout at a diner.
"A date would be steak at a fancy restaurant," he told Alexander, his eyes gleaming through the rearview mirror.
"It doesn't matter the price," Alexander corrected. "As long as you love each other and are content with where you both are in life, that's okay."
"No Sir," Louis disagreed. "I know what I'm saying. My last girl left me for my boss, Mr. Frederick. Even before I resigned, there were some days when I'd have to pick both of them up and listen to them make dinner plans, listen to them…Sir, I'm going to be very rich someday, just like you, but in the meantime, I'll save up all I can to take her for some steak."
Louis sounded so determined about his plan that Alexander didn't say anything to that. He hoped he wouldn't have to learn the truth another hard way and leave the past where it belonged rather than bringing it into his budding romance story.
When he got to the office, the first person he saw when he stepped on his office floor was Tamika. She was engrossed in her phone, long, golden lacquered nails typing away on her phone.
"Tamika?" Alexander called. Her head snapped up at that, and she gave him a megawatt smile.
"Alex!" She grabbed her purse and ran to him, practically startling him by jumping into his arms. "I missed you," she broke the hug and grinned at him. "It's been a long while."
"Work's got the best of me," Alexander said.
"Sorry about that," she empathized. "Good thing I'm here as your stress relief." She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. "Come, show me your office."
"Tamika," Alexander pulled her back. "How about another time? I'm busy right now."
"Oh," he hated the way her face fell. "Okay then," she tried to smile again but failed. "I guess I'll be going then. It's just…Alex, I thought we made a connection the first time we met," her voice was low so no one would hear. "And I liked you, but ever since then, it feels like you've been avoiding hanging out with me."
"I haven't," Alexander said.
"Well then, what is it?" Tamika asked. "Do you want me to stop?"
Alexander looked in the direction of his office. A few minutes of discussion won't hurt. Still holding Tamika's hand, he headed to the closed space of his office. He offered Tamika a seat on his couch and took the space next to her. She clasped her hand and fixed them on her lap, her eyes on him.
"I like you, Tamika," he began. "You're fun, you're bubbly, you're sweet, at least from the little I know," Tamika gave a small smile at this, and waited for him to continue. "Truth is, I like to take things slow, and sometimes, I know I act like I don't care, but I'm trying my best."
Tamika sighed. "You sometimes leave me on read for hours, Alex, that isn't exactly trying."
"I know, I know, it's just…for now," Alexander rubbed his hair, thinking of how best to convey his next lines. "I see you…as a friend, Tamika."
Tamika looked like she had just been hit in the face with a bat. "What?"
"Like I said, I like you, and I'm not sure where this will lead someday…"
"...I don't get, then why lead me on?" She cut him off.
"I didn't," Alexander's brows furrowed in confusion. "I never did."
"It's just…it felt that way, or was I just delusional?" She said more to herself. "Wait, is it Armani? Is she the one you're seeing?"
Alexander ran his hand through his head again. "Armani's just a friend."
"Just a friend," Tamika dragged out the words with an edge of sarcasm to her tone. "Does she know this? Or is she still like me whose being fooled into thinking there is something here?"
"Like I said, she's just a friend," Alexander reiterated.
"Well then," Tamika grabbed her bag and stood, her eyes still displeased. "Maybe you should let your "friend" know as well so she'd stop looking so desperate."
"Tamika," Alexander held unto her arm, but she didn't turn to look at him. "I didn't mean to be ambiguous about the kind of relationship we had, and I'm sorry, but I'd like for us to remain friends."
He let go off her arm, and Tamika walked right out without acknowledging his request. Alexander's mind drifted off to Roberts, of how he easily navigated the casual dating world, and how hard it was for him to put himself in the dating market. It's not that women were not plentiful for him, yes they were, it was just that there was a certain level of surity he wanted out of relationships, and the only two he had had in the past didn't give him that.
"You're looking for "the one," Roberts had mocked him over drinks one day. "Too bad that's some fictitious concept created to look for perfection in someone. It really isn't that hard."
Easy for Robert to say, Alexander thought.
He sat at his desk and started work right away. The first mail caused him to stop scrolling, and he read through the content of the message.
Hey Alex, can we talk? Selena had typed.
Alexander looked at the message a little longer, then pressed the delete button.