Baby Mama Series {Samples Only}

Zeke and Sydney: Lovers or Friends Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath, he walked inside to face the crowd. Looking around he didn't see Sydney anywhere, but her sister was out on the floor helping customers, so he decided to approach her. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Can I help you?" she asked, turning to face him.

Zeke cleared his throat, "I don't know if you remember me, but I was here-"

"I remember," she interrupted him. "I've been watching you stand outside for the last ten minutes talking to yourself. I'm surprised that you finally got enough balls to come in. How can I help you?" she asked.

If he were a light-skinned man, he would've been blushing. He cleared his throat and loosened his tie.

"I was hoping to see Sydney. She helped me the last time."

"Anyone can help you," Sierra responded. "You like my sister, admit it. You don't have to keep coming here and buying flowers just to get her attention."

Damn she's upfront. He decided that he wasn't going to beat around the bush, either. "I'm interested in your sister," he admitted.

"Sorry to burst you bubble, but Syd got a man," she said placing her hands on her hips, exaggerating a bit.

"I know. Is she here today?" he asked Sierra. He just wanted to see her smile and be in the presence of her natural beauty, even if it belonged to someone else.

"She's in her office."

I feel sorry for the man that becomes attached to her, Zeke thought as she walked away.

He went behind the counter towards the back of the store to the office. He didn't know what he was doing, but went with his gut and knocked on the door that belonged to Sydney.

~

"Come in."

Sydney was concentrating on paperwork, so she didn't realize who had walked into her office. She was busy looking for another employee to help around the store. She'd already employed a few part-time college and high school students, but she wanted another full-time adult besides her sister or brother help out.

"Is this a bad time?"

Sydney looked up when she heard the deep masculine voice. She didn't expect to see Zeke there.

"Zeke?" she asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged his shoulders and came towards her desk. "I needed some flowers for a woman I love. So I came to the woman that loves flowers."

"Oh, that's great!" she responded. Sydney started organizing the mess on her desk. "So I guess the date went well."

"Hell no, it was a tragedy."

She stopped her movement. "I don't understand."

"I need flowers for my mom."

She felt relieved. When he'd said they were for the woman he loved, she felt a pang of jealousy. Not because she wanted Zeke for herself, but because he was another person that had gotten the love thing right.

"So what type of flowers do you suggest this time, Ms. Sydney?" Zeke asked, drawing her attention again. He had walked closer to her desk and was now leaning over getting into her personal space.

Sydney pushed her chair back and broke the trance Zeke had her under. "Um...what type of woman is she?"

He grinned. "She's a prim and proper Southern Belle raised in Louisiana. She never held a full-time job, but proudly raised four boys that all went to college. We always had a home cooked meal, and she worshiped my father until the day he passed."

Sydney immediately got the image of a proud sophisticated woman in her late fifties that was gentle and soft. From the smile on Zeke's face, she could tell that he loved his mother, and she probably spent her life loving on her boys.

"I think you should get her a bouquet of pink lilies. They're soft and elegant, two characteristics that I believe your mother embodies."

"You're the expert," he said in response.

Sydney decided to make a fresh bouquet for Zeke's mom, so she led the way to her work area in another room, across from her office. Zeke sat on a stool beside her and watched her small fingers arrange the flowers into a beautiful crystal vase. He was amazed at how something so simple could change into an entirely different thing. Sydney had done that in a matter of minutes.

While she worked, he watched her. Sydney's figure was petite, but she still had full hips and breasts. The last time he saw her, she had her hair down, but today it was piled on top of her head with a few strands floating around her face. She was beautiful without even trying.

Through talking, he now knew that she was twenty-three, four years younger than himself and was a Texas native. It was a funny coincidence that the college she dropped out of was the same school he came to Texas and attended. He thought it was courageous of her to leave to pursue a dream. From the looks of it, things were working out.

"All done," Sydney exclaimed.

He looked at the bouquet of pink lilies with smaller accent flowers and thought it was perfect. Maybe the gesture would soften his mother up. "It's beautiful, Sydney. Thank You," he said before giving her a brief hug. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, already pulling out cash from his wallet after the hug ended.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a wave of her hand. "It was my pleasure to make this for your mom." She looked at the clock on the wall. "You should get going; you still have to clean and set up your place for her visit.

Zeke knew that it was true, but he wasn't ready to leave her. Time passed too quickly, and he felt cheated.

"Come out with me," he blurted out without thinking. "I know you have a boyfriend, but we can just get together as friends."

"I don't have a boyfriend," Sydney corrected.

Now he was confused. "Your sister told me-"

"My sister likes to cause trouble," she interrupted. "I had a boyfriend, but we broke up. My family is having a hard time realizing that it's over for good." She took a deep breath. "My focus right now is on my store. I don't have time for romance." She started to clean up the mess on the table.

That was fine with him. He just wanted Sydney to be a fixture in his life. He had never met another person that he connected with so easily. "Let's go out as friends. My treat."

She froze. "Just friends?"

Zeke nodded his head yes.

"Only if I pay for myself."

A woman willing to pay? It was an anomaly for Zeke. He looked forward to seeing Sydney again. "I'll pay for the first dinner, and you can get the second."

"It's a deal, Ezequiel."

"It's just Zeke," he corrected. He could see that she was purposely poking fun at his name.

"I don't know," Sydney mused. "You look like an Ezequiel."

"What does an Ezequiel look like?"

"You."

To prove her wrong, he pulled out his driver's license that listed his full name. "Told you so."

Sydney grinned. "Fine, your name is Zeke." She grabbed his driver's license and focused on his picture. "Now let's talk about these cornrows on your head."

Zeke snatched his license away as Sydney laughed loudly. "You're a mean little person."

"Little? I'm average."

"Five feet is not average."

Sydney stomped out of the room to get her license to prove that she was taller than five feet. Zeke followed behind her with a smile on his face. He had a feeling that his and Sydney's friendship was going to be a lasting one.