Healing Inc. (9 page)

Evy had to fill in until Nita could get someone else to cover, which she was all but thrilled about doing.  The boutique was different from the consignment shop.  Evy didn’t like working there because she found the crowd to be a little too snobbish for her liking.  Grinding her teeth the whole time, she had dealt with it only to find that her stock broker had been trying to get in touch with her all day.  He was in a tizzy because he thought he had purchased ten times as much of a particular stock she had requested.  After she had calmed the perpetually hyper man down, she was able to verify that no mistake had been made and assured him all was well. 

After resolving that issue, she had gone to the Healing Inc.’s official headquarters for the usual Friday meeting only to discover that Nita had rushed to the hospital to check on the girl who was in labor.  She had not been able to complete payroll, which had to be in before close of business.  Fortunately, it was one of the few jobs they shared.  Evy jumped on it immediately, completing it just under the wire.  Nita had called during that time to inform her that the girl’s parents couldn’t be reached, leaving her as the only one who could remain with the terrified girl until a relative could take over.  Evy offered to relieve her but Nita reminded her that she had to tutor Tyler tonight. 

“Oh, shoot! Tyler!”  Using the office phone, she called him to let him know she was running late and gave him the option to reschedule.  Showing no interest in cancelling, Tyler asked her to meet him at his office again as they had done the previous Friday.  Evy readily agreed as she felt it had worked out well enough. 

As she left Healing Inc. heading toward his office, she reflected on the last Friday evening they had spent together.  During that time they had become more acquainted.  The session had started off with them going over the course work.  Evy had noticed how stressed he was and prompted him to relax to one of her favorite songs,
U Will Know
by Black Men United.  Tyler had poked fun at her, claiming she was neither young nor a black male.  In actuality, he was happy for the opportunity to discover something else about her.  She showed him how she stretches and moves about while reflecting on the words of the song, but prompted him to let the song move him in any way that came to him.  She was surprised when he started dancing to it, not to mention a bit disturbed from liking the way he moved. 

After study time ended they had talked.  They were excited to find out that they both enjoyed a good run in the morning.  Tyler had feigned fear when Evy exposed her martial arts background to him and cringed when he found out how early she rose to get a complete workout in every day.  She easily guessed that he used weights as his bulging muscles were a testament of it.

Eventually, he had asked her why that song was one of her favorites.  She told him about her childhood dreams of being a singer, how it hadn’t work out and that she had refocused her energy to become the happy being that she was today.   He had then confided in her about his childhood and how he stayed with the Wilsons while his mother ran around wild.  He went on to mention his ex-wife in New York and the daughter they had together.  Evy had been fascinated by the way his eyes lit up when describing his daughter. 

Somehow during the course of their conversation, she had gone behind him as he sat in his office chair and started idly massaging him.  She hadn’t realized what she was doing until he looked up at her with pure lust in his eyes.  As usual, she had found an excuse to end the session and get as far away from him as possible.

She drove into the garage of the tall building that housed his office and parked.  Just as she did so, a loud growl escaped from her stomach.

 “Ah man!  I can’t believe I forgot to eat today!” 

She sat there for a moment, wondering if the tuna salad she had left in the work refrigerator would cause problems for her on Monday.  Her nose scrunched up in memory of a similar incident in which her abandoned egg salad sandwich had resulted in a near quarantine of the office kitchen a few summers ago.  The staff had been on the verge of stringing her up until she offered to take everyone out to lunch on her dime.  She briefly contemplated heading out to grab something but her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone.

“Yes, it’s me,” she answered, recognizing Tyler’s number.

“Hi me,” Tyler started.  “Where are you?”

“Uh, I’m actually sitting in the garage of your building.”

“Well come on up.  I’ve been waiting.  The cleaning crew wants to come in early so they can go to some concert or something.  I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

Evy decided to suck it up and not to make him wait any longer.  She would be sure to make a bee line to the nearest convenience store as soon as she finished with Tyler.  That stale burrito with her name on it would have to wait for now. 

Gathering her backpack, she made her way to the elevator.  As the elevator rose closer to the top floor that accommodated his office, she started to think that she was losing her mind.  The hallucinogenic scent of her favorite food, Indian cuisine, was infiltrating her senses and growing stronger by the minute.  Stepping off the elevator, her notion was confirmed when her nose pinpointed the aroma coming from his office.

She walked the short distance past the reception area to his office door which stood wide open.  There, on his desk, lay a buffet of some of the most delicious foods known to man, mango lamb, coconut soup and of course, nan  to name a few.  On instinct, her mouth began to water.  She stood in amazement, eyeing the spread, repeatedly swallowing her saliva so that it wouldn’t overflow in an obscene cascade to the floor. 

“Hey there!  A little birdie told me you might be a wee bit hungry,” Tyler said with a sly smile.

“I…I…I’ll be alright.”  With difficulty, she refocused her gaze from the food to him.  She was determined not to let him win their ongoing standoff over him buying her dinner.  “We need to get started so that we don’t hold up your cleaning crew,” she reminded him.

“Oh, I see.  I hope you don’t mind if I go ahead and eat while we’re studying.  Boy, am I starving!  This is the first chance that I’ve gotten to eat all day,” he exclaimed as he sat down rubbing his large hands together.

“Go for it,” she replied, shrugging her back pack off her shoulder and taking the seat across the desk from him.  Attempting to ignore the fare before her, she started pulling items from her back pack in preparation for their study session.

“You know, I’ve never tried Indian cuisine before.  I think I rather like it,” he teased, munching on the savory meat and bread.  “Are you sure you don’t want any?”

“I’m fine!” she fired a little more harshly than she had expected.  Her cheeks heated with embarrassment which was hidden by her deep brown skin color.  She continued to avert her eyes from him and his banquet by pretending to look for something deep within the confines of her back pack.

“Umm-umm! This is some good cooking here!”  He closed his eyes, rolling them heavenward as he scrumptiously mowed down on the cuisine.  “Wow!  You know the smell doesn’t do it justice.  This stuff….”

He was cut off by a loud noise emanating from Evy’s stomach.  Without warning, she reached across the table and snatched the food out of his large cupped hand.  Tyler roared with laughter as he watched her devour it, forgoing any ounce of poise or dignity.

Once finished, she addressed him.  “Oh you fight dirty Mr. Moriatti,” she seethed with narrowed eyes as she licked her fingers clean.  Then she lowered her eyes, addressing her stomach, “You treacherous bastard you!”

Tyler could no longer contain himself.  He laughed so hard it brought him out of his overpriced office chair and onto the carpeted floor.  The fall did nothing to abate his mirth, which went on for another five minutes while Evy fixed a plate, unable to keep from snickering as she did so.  His joy was contagious. 

They finished eating, with Tyler confessing that Nita had clued him in on her missing lunch.  He had hit the redial button to see if Evy wanted to reschedule after hearing that the cleaning crew wanted to come in early.  Nita had just gotten back to the office and informed him that Evy was on her way.  It was then Nita had asked him to pass on that the tuna fish sandwich had been taken care of.  He let the crew clean as he ran out and got the food, telling them not to worry about his office if they didn’t get to it before he returned.  With that out of the way, the study session ensued.

“Okay, I think it’s time for a break,” Evy suggested after noticing the growing tension in Tyler.  She was beginning to think that the subject of humanities really was difficult for him.

 “I get to pick the song this week,” he claimed with enthusiasm. 

“Fair enough,” she affirmed as she walked around his desk to use his computer.  He was almost childlike as he stood from his chair, offering it to her.  “What’s it going to be?”

“
Aretha, Sing One for Me
.  The George Jackson version, please.”

Evy looked up at him from her place at the computer.  “Are you serious?” she asked with a lifted brow.  “This song inspires you?”  She failed to keep the condescension out of her voice.

“Oh my!  Look who’s judging this time,” he challenged, smiling the whole time.  “If you must know, yes- it- does.  It gives me hope that I will be able to find the right person some day and that no matter what happens, I’ll be able to win her back.”

“Oookay.  If that’s what you want,” she conceded.

Wasting no more time, she went to her website of preference and added the song to the queue.  She stood and prepared to do her stretches only to find herself swept up into Tyler’s arms.  The swiftness of the act took her breath away, with the proximity of him making it difficult for her to catch it.

“Let the song move me any way I want, remember?” he reminded her.  The music seemed to take forever to start allowing ample time for them to gaze into each other’s eyes.   Their breathing became more problematic to control.  A moment later, they began to sway together as the song started to play. 
Tyler pulled her closer to him
,
moving his hips in a seductive manner.  Evy was lost in the song and his closeness.  He lead her fluidly, twirling her away from him, turning her this way and that way to the music break in the song.  Then he took her in his arms again, both of them smiling, feeling lighthearted and at ease with one another as the world outside of them fell away.

 Tyler brought his lips downward lightly brushing them across hers.  He could taste her sweetness despite the strong spices from the food they had just eaten.  Liking the taste of her, he went back for more, placing a light peck on her sensuous lips. He pulled back from her just enough to read her expression.  As she returned his gaze she noticed that something special was projecting from those deep blue eyes of his.  It spread warmth throughout her body, awakening a longing that she thought had died many years ago.

Feeling more confident, Tyler again placed his lips to hers, allowing them to linger longer.  She responded, kissing him back, becoming more and more lost in him as the song played on.  Giving in completely, they devoured one another.  Their passion intensified as their tongues twisted and twirled, in out and of each other’s mouths.  He sucked on her bottom lip, not able to get enough of her.  She felt him pulling her closer into the hardness of his manhood, his body feeling fabulous against hers.  The chiseled contours of his stomach, sculpted chest and arms engulfed her, causing the last ounce of fight to depart from her.  Her hands came up behind his head pulling him in closer, intensifying the kiss.  She heard herself whimper as his hands began a slow sensual perusal of her back and buttocks. 

Tyler started to gyrate, grinding his erection against her.  Heat shot through her causing her nipples to harden and an odd sensation to stir between her thighs.  She wanted to feel him, to taste him.  Tyler wanted so badly to make love to her.  He effortlessly lifted her onto his desk as he started a trail down her neck, kissing and licking, pausing occasionally to suck in places that heighted their desire.  Evy couldn’t help but savor every kiss, every caress and touch from him.  Without warning, those words from the past came flying at her.  ‘
Don’t
fucking look at me bitch!’