- FRIDAY -
▪︎ TAYLORED SHIPMENTS OFFICE ▪︎
After Fatima's harsh treatment towards him on Monday afternoon, Zac had an epiphany and thus decided to give Fatima the "space" that she so desperately craved for. He noticed that they had a somewhat toxic cycle that involved Fatima ALWAYS running and him always chasing behind her. However, after he was left heartbroken in that parking lot when Fatima rudely drove off... He decided that enough was enough.
As a result of his epiphany, Zac spent the week keeping thing strictly professional with Fatima. He made the effort to not bother or speak to her about anything that wasn't work related.
Needless to say, Fatima felt terrible for leaving the way that she did. In her hearts of hearts, she knew damn well that she owed Zac a couple of things. A sincere apology, a thorough explanation, and perhaps a sit down. However, her pride just wouldn't let her admit her fault, so in true Fatima fashio, she just kept it moving and also kept things strictly professional with Zac.
"Girl, what did that keyboard do to you?" Lulu asked as she watched Fatima angrily type on her laptop.
"Nothing!" Fatima snapped, causing Lulu to side eye her.
"Mm-hmm... I'm sure it's nothing Lulu said sarcastically.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Fatima asked as she turned her attention away from the minutes that she was busy typing.
"Nothing!" Lulu smartly replied in the same exact tone that Fatima just used.
"Lu," Fatima breathed out. "Please don't start with me today. I really don't need to be dealing with your judgement on my birthday!"
"First of all" Lulu scoffed. "Nobody is judging you! I was just making an observation." She defended.
"What observation?"
"May I speak freely without you biting my head off?" Lulu asked hesitantly.
"Go ahead."
"I know that you and Zac have been keeping things professional all week and although I know that your stubborn ass liked not being bothered by him, you definitely miss him bothering you for the usual petty shit."
"I hear you but you're wrong. I don't miss him bothering him. I've actually been much more productive without his constant BS."
"Okay... so then what's the matter? Why are you in such a foul mood? I mean it's your 21st birthday for heaven sakes!!" Lulu exclaimed while trying to shake some excitement in Fatima. "It's bad enough that you don't want to us to go tonight."
"It's Zac," Fatima sighed.
"What about him?"
"He uhm..." she hesitated. "He walked right past me this morning and didn't wish me a happy birthday" she said sadly.
"Aww bookie," Lulu cooed. "Well, maybe he just forgot. I mean, he's been busy with trying to get this company off the ground, and y'all have also been broken up for years."
"No," Fatima said, shaking her head. "He didn't forget. He would never!! He's probably still on his stupid 'keeping it professional' wave," she rolled her eyes.
"You're my friend, and I love you, but I swear you confuse me sometimes," Lulu said with a slight chuckle. "YOU literally ran away from that man when he tried to speak to you! YOU are also the one who practically begged for this 'keep it professional' mess, and now that it no longer benefits you, you're mad?!"
"I'm not mad. I'm hurt," Fatima said in a defensive tone.
"Yeah well... how do you think he feels?" Lulu asked with her arms folded. "I know I don't know what happened between y'all, but I do know a thing or two about relationships."
"Oh yeah?" Fatima asked, awaiting her to explain further.
"Firstly, men have feelings too. The same way you're able to feel hurt, so is he. Secondly, they are not mind readers. You can't tell him to do something and then expect him to do the opposite." Lulu explained. "Now I know that I don't know anything about Zac, but I do know you, and I can bet on my life that you were the reason behind y'all breakup. Correct?"
Fatima looked away and didn't respond, but she knew that Lulu was right.
"See!!" Lulu exclaimed. "Your pride won't even let you admit your faults. You need to let that pride go, friend. If you hold on to it for too long, it's gonna cost you."
"Okay, fine, maybe you're right!!" Fatima finally admitted after a brief silence. "So what do you think I should do?"
"Do you still love him?" Lulu asked.
"Yes I do. I never stopped loving him, and that is honestly the real reason why I haven't been able to get with another man since being here. It's because my heart, soul, and body still belong to him, " Fatima said.
"Pause... So you're telling me that you've never been with another man EXCEPT him???!" Lulu asked in a shocked tone, and Fatima shyly nodded her head.
"Aww" Lulu cooed. "That is so adorable!! You may have some underlying issues, but at least loyalty ain't one of them! Girl, so you haven't had sex in 3 years???!"
"Yes," Fatima laughed.
"How do you do it?" Lulu asked.
"Girl, aren't you supposed to remain 'pure' until 21?" Fatima mocked already knowing that her friend is a freak.
"Thankfully, my family is not as traditional as Nandi's family!" Lulu said. "And we're getting off topic. Seriously, HOW??!"
"Honestly, I don't know either." Fatima shrugged her shoulders. "And you still haven't told me what I should do," she said, drawing Lulu back to her dilemma.
"I say that you should go to his office and ask him to sign off on some papers. Make sure that you pull your skirt up so that it's a mini, and then soon as you get in there, you'll lock the door upon entrance and initiate-
"Please be serious for once in your life!!" Fatima laughed. "My life is not some pornhub fantasy!"
"Okay, okay," Lulu laughed. "Jokes aside, I think that you should just be honest with him. Tell him everything you told me."
"I can't do that."
"Sure you can!" Lulu encouraged. "Just take it as a birthday gift to yourself. You owe it to yourself and to him. And... just in case you're feeling nervous, take a sip of this," she handed her a water bottle.
"What is this?" Fatima asked suspiciously.
"Liquid courage," Lulu whispered.
"Girl, you can't be drinking on the job!!" Fatima scolded.
"Oh please, it's almost knock-off time, and it's a FRIDAYYY!!" Lulu rolled said excitedly. "Besides, this job doesn't even pay, so who gives a shit?!"
Fatima laughed before reluctantly taking a sip of the drink.
"You're gonna need a lot me than that if you're going ahead with operation .Get Zac back," Lulu said.
"Fuck it!" Fatima said before checking the time and seeing that it was almost 5pm. "I'm finally 21!!!" She exclaimed before gulping half the bottle.
"Okay you're done" Lulu said as she took the bottle out of her hands. "Good thing we took the shuttle because we're both not in a state to drive."
"Girl stop playing. You're not even drunk" Fatima laughed as she felt the liquor settle into her body.
"Yet" Lulu corrected before chugging the remaining half of the drink. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BESFREN!!" She yelled and hugged Fatima. "Now go out there and make me proud." She said pointing in the direction of Zac's office.
-
-
Fatima went to Zac's office and saw that he wasn't there. Her heart broke for a second when she thought that he had already went back to Atlanta, that was until she saw his jacket and cellphone. She then decided to take the elevator and go to the 1st floor (reception area) to go ask about his whereabouts.
"Hi Sally. Has Zac-- I mean, Mr. Taylor left for the day?" Fatima asked the reception lady.
"Not yet. He had an off-site meeting with Ms Williams, but they should be heading back soon. Do you need me to contact him and let him know that you're looking for him?" Sally asked.
"No thanks, that won't be necessary. I'll wait for him, " Fatima said.
Fatima then turned around to walk back to the elevator and go wait in his office, but when she turned she bumped into a tall, muscular man. The bouquet of money roses that he held in his hands was the first thing that she took notice off, followed by his distcint scent because it was quite familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she had smelt it before.
"Fatima" the man said in a husky voice and then it hit her as she slowly raised her head to meet his eyes.
"Trevor?" Fatima said. "What a surprise. What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm glad I caught you before you knocked off," he said with a warm smile. "These are for you. Happy birthday, gorgeous," he handed her the flowers, and Fatima reluctantly accepted them.
"T-Thank you," she choked out. "Who told you that I work here?" She asked him.
"That's not important. What's important is... what are you doing tonight?" He asked.
"Nothing much," Fatima shrugged. "My friends will be gone because I wanna be alone. So I'll probably just order a pizza and drink some wine."
"That is no way to spend your 21st birthday!" He scolded. "How about I take you out for dinner?"
"Thanks, Trevor, but I'm gonna have to pass. You're a sweet guy, and I really appreciate the gesture, but I can't go out with you because I kinda do this thing of not celebrating my birthday. It's a long story, but yeah... I'm not too fond of it," Fatima said.
"I totally get it" Trevor said. "So how about we just go out for a casual dinner? No strings." He asked once more.
"Maybe next time" Fatima replied.
"Okay, I won't push, but can I at least get a hug?"
"Sure" Fatima said as she walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I hope you enjoy your birthday" he said softly before placing a kiss on her cheek.
Unbeknownst to them, Zac was just coming back from his off-site meeting when he saw them all hugged up. In fact, from his point of view, it looked like they were kissing. Needless to say, he was livid, but he wouldn't dare act on those feelings and jeopardize both his and the company's reputation. So instead, he took the stairs to the second floor and quickly grabbed all his belongings from his office and then left out the back door.
Sometime went by, and Fatima was still hanging around the reception area, awaiting his arrival. She looked at her wristwatch and saw that it was getting late...
"How long did you say he'd be?" She asked Sally who was in the process of packing up and getting ready to leave.
"You just missed him" Sally said. "He walked past you when you were with that young man who brought the flowers."
"SHIT!!" Fatima said as she hurried out the door.
-
-
▪︎ APARTMENT ▪︎
"Zac, I know what you saw, but I promise you that it's not what you think," Fatima said over the phone as she left yet another voice message on Zac's phone.
Fatima got Zac's cell number from the office group chat, and she has been blowing him up for the past hour.
"Zachary Darius Taylor!!" She yelled into the phone. "I know that you're getting my damn messages! I'm finally ready to talk so please just call-
"This mailbox is full" the automated voice said, cutting her off before ending the line.
"SHIT!!" Fatima yelled in frustration as she tossed her phone on the sofa.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"I'll be right there," she yelled before running to her room to get some tip money for the pizza guy.
She opened the door...
"Zac?" She said in a surprised tone. "W-what brings you by?" She stuttered.
"May I come in?" He asked and she stepped aside to let him in.
"Who told you where I live?" She asked as she took a seat beside him.
"Who gave you my number?" He asked.
"You can't answer a question with a question."
"Whatever. Look, I have a flight to catch, so I'm not stating long. I just came here to say my piece and then leave." Zac said.
"Okay, but before you start, can I please just say that what you saw between me and Trevor wasn't what it looked like. He's just a friend, and he was just wishing me a-
"I don't care bout, none that," he said, cutting her off. "I just came here to tell you to stop blowing up my damn phone!!" He raised voice which only made Fatima madder. "What you do with ol boy is your business."
"Okay, so are you done?" Fatima asked, slightly annoyed. She was mad because Zac had already made up his mind and wasn't even prepared to hear her out.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.
"So you're really just gonna leave without even telling me happy birthday?" Fatima asked, getting choked up as she saw his hand reach for the doorknob. "There is nothing going on between me and that guy!! He was just wishing me a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" She yelled as she got up from the sofa and got up in Zac's face.
Zac just looked at her and remained quiet.
"FUCK YOU ZAC!!" Fatima yelled. "Get the fuck out and go back to Atlanta. Don't bring your ass back over here" she yelled while shoving him.
Zac grabbed ahold of both her hands and pressed her against the door. He had both of her arms angled above her head as he held onto them with his right hand.
"Let me go!!" She yelled while trying to get loose.
"You need to calm down" he said calmly as he moved closer to her face, causing their lips to slightly touch. "I'm not gonna run away to Atlanta because I'm not you" he said against her lips.
Fatima instantly gave up on trying to push him away because he was just too strong. She wasn't necessarily weak to fight him off, she was just weak in his presence because she hadn't been that close to him in years so her body didn't know how to react.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked softly while gazing into his eyes.
"Fatima you like to run when the going gets tough. And I realized that I have been enabling you by chasing you no matter where you run to. But that shit ends today!" He said with some base in his voice, sending shivers down her spine. "I don't know what kinda games you're playing but what I do know is that I'm done chasing you!"
"Are you?" Fatima asked seductively as she felt herself start to get turned on. "So what you're saying is that it's my turn to be the chaser now?" She asked before kissing lips.
It wasn't long before the kiss made Zac lose control as he slowly let got of her arms. Her arms subsequently dropped to the side of her thighs and then she went back to kissing him before whispering in his ear "you didn't answer my question."
"What question?" He asked softly as he felt himself start to get hard by the second.
Fatima noticed his hardness and smiled. She then ran her hand across his pants and leaned closer to his hear as she started to softly kiss/nibble on it. "Am I the chaser now?" She asked again.
"No" Zac replied. "You'll always be the runner."
Fatima stepped back and smiled as she took off the bodycon dress that she had on, revealing her perfectly naked body, causing his dick to instantly stand up at attention. She was topless but she had on a black lace thong that didn't leave much to the imagination.
"Chase me, daddy," she said in a seductive tone as she led the way to her bedroom, and he swiftly followed behind.
-
Fatima laid on the bed as Zac crawled on top of her and started kissing her from the toes all the way up to her thighs. When he reached her breasts, he took his time carefully, giving each breast his undivided attention.
"Uhhh" Fatima softly moaned as she felt his tongue swirl around her hard nipple.
Zac then moved his head and positioned it on her neck as he began attacking it with warm kisses.
"Mmm baby, that's my spot" Fatima moaned as her hands ran across his back.
"I know, baby, I didn't forget" Zac said as he lifted his head and began passionately kissing her lips. He then reached his hand down and felt her wetness gushing through the thin fabric of her panties. He used his middle finger to rub up and down her clit. It wasn't long before that same finger reached her opening as he slowly inserted it into her tight entrance.
"Fuck" Fatima moaned as she scratched his back and resumed their sloppy kissing.
Once he saw that her tight entrance had somewhat adjusted to two fingers... it was go time. He ripped apart her thong using his bare hands and threw it across the room. He then took off his boxers and revealed his rock-hard dick. Fatima instantly got nervous as she sat up some and stared at it with her eyes wide open. It was definitely bigger than she remembered...
"You getting ready to run already?" Zac teased as he saw her facial expression.
"Never," Fatima said boldly. "I'm done running," she proclaimed.
"You sure?" Zac asked as he assumed position in between her legs.
"Yes, I'm s- FUCKKKK," Fatima gasped as she felt him enter her slowly.
"Are you okay?" Zac asked with some concern.
"Mm-hmm" Fatima moaned as she pulled him in for a kiss.
Their tongues continued fighting for dominance as Zac slowly gave her every inch of himself. He then started thrusting into her by moving his hips. It wasn't long before he found a rhythm.
After some long deep strokes, Fatima had finally adjusted to his massive size. The initial feeling of pain was now pleasure as she wrapped her legs around him and started matching his rhythm.
"Shiiiit Ti" Zac groaned as he felt her walls grip his dick.
"I love you Zac" Fatima abruptly said in the moment as she felt her climax approach. "I love you sooooo much, baby," she dragged out as he picked up his pace.
"Fuckkk I'm cummin" she yelled as she arched her back.
"Not yet, Ti!" Zac coached as he spread her legs open wider. "Hold that shit," he commanded as he went deeper, causing her to scream and claw his back.
"Zac, pleaseeeee" she begged as she fought her climax that was oh so near. "Shiiit. Baby, you're too deep, " she whimpered ed while putting her hands on his stomach in an attempt to move up some.
"Is that running I sense?" Zac taunted as he moved her hands and pulled her even closer than before.
"N-no, I'm not runn- OH MY... ZACCCCCC, " she screamed as she felt him damn near reach her guts. She could no longer hold it in.
"Baby pleaseee let me cum" she begged. "I promise you that I'm done running"
"Look at me" he instructed and they locked eyes. He noticed that her eyes were on the verge of tears, happy tears. "I love you too Ti" he said as he gave her one final pump that sent shockwaves all throughout her body. He legs instantly started shaking as she began to release with his dick still inside her. "Happy birthday" he said before he kissed her lips and emptied out his nut inside of her.
After their intense love making session, Zac and Fatima took a shower together and then asleep in one another's embrace.
At around 10 p.m., Zac carefully hopped out of bed and started getting back dressed. He wasn't worried about Fatima waking up because he knew that she'd be out until morning. He then grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from her desk and wrote a note to leave on her side table before kissing her forehead and leaving...
- THE NEXT MORNING -
"Mmmm, good morning, baby," Fatima said, stretching before turning around. "My back hurts so bad. You put it downnn" she said while stretching it as well.
When she didn't get a response, she stretched her arm out to feel on his side of the bed, but it was... EMPTY.
"Zac!!" She called out, assuming that he had maybe gone to the bathroom. There was no answer.
"What the fuck?!" she said to herself as she grabbed her robe and put it on.
She knew that she was home alone because both of her friends spent the night at their boyfriends. She looked all around the 3-bedroom apartment, and there was still no sign of Zac. She went back to her room to retrieve her phone so that she could call him. Her phone wasn't there because she left it on the sofa. All that was there was a little piece of paper with a note and an address in Atlanta:
How about you be the chaser for once?
- Zac ♡