Thursday morning, Naris was pacing around the office. Christina had an interview in fifteen minutes and she hadn't shown up. He was worried she'd bail out. He didn't want her shaking her ass in the strip club every night when he could offer her a decent job. That was not the look he needed his girl to have.
"Naris, sit down." Shayy walked out of her office to see him pacing the floor.
"Ma. What if she doesn't show? I'm worried about her." He said followed with a heavy sigh.
"Boy, you are in love." Shayy laughed. "Cool out. She'll show if she wants. I'm here. I have time for her. If she's what you say she is, she'll be here. Go get me a frappe while your waiting."
"Starbucks? Strawberries and cream?"
"Yes. Thanks love." She went back into her office and he left. Five minutes later, a knock came on Shayy's door. "Come in"
"Hi. Mrs. Rodriguez?" The person on the other side of the door walked in.
"Yes. You must be Christina." Shayy stood and shook her hand.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I just..." Christina began explaining but was cut off.
"Naris told me you have a lot of things going on. Are you going to be able to work eight to ten hours a day?"
"Yes. I just have to make sure I have a ride if I work after the bus stops running."
"You have a license?"
"Yes ma'am. I was in a wreck and things aren't going through with the insurance right. I have to share a car with my god sister and it's just a mess because our schedules normally conflict."
"You're good with numbers?"
"Yes. Numbers, computers, people, paperwork...I worked in a call center before and I was a cashier. I also studied statistics for the majority of college."
"So, you'll leave the stripping where it's at?"
"Huh?" She was caught off guard.
"Naris told me about that. If I give you a job in my office, I can't have you exposing yourself like that. We get a lot of attention here and outside of work with events."
"I swear, I'm done with it. It won't happen again."
"Cool. My son seems to trust and have a lot of faith in you, so I'll trust that you won't let me down. You start tomorrow. He'll walk you through today. You'll get paid for it. He'll get you set up with a desk and I'm sure he'll be asking if you can be an assistant soon." Shayy smiled. "Here's the keys to a company car. He'll show you that and I'll have my assistant go through your paperwork. Sunday through Thursday 8-5, or Monday through Thursday, 8-7?"
"Which does Naris work the most?"
"Sunday through Tuesday, he's here 8-4, Wednesday 8-7 and Thursday 12 to 7."
"You're closed on Friday and Saturday?"
"Yes ma'am. All holidays as well."
"I'll take the Sunday through Thursday." She replied.
"Alright." Shayy shook her hand again. "Welcome to the team." Once Naris knocked, she opened the door and took her drink and left the two alone.
"You came."
"And I got the job. Thank you for talking to your mom."
"No problem." He smiled.
"I didn't know you were mixed."
"I'm not."
"Oh...you're adopted?"
"Shit, I guess you can say that." He laughed. "My biological mom was my dad's twin sister. She died at fourteen years old and my uncle took care of me like his own. Never knew my biological father. My dad married Shayy when I was 11. She's been nothing but a mother to me and Natasha. We appreciate that. She doesn't treat us like outsiders."
"That's sweet. She seems like she's real as hell."
"Doesn't hold her tongue. She probably told you she only gave you the job because I put in a word."
"Yeah. But, I can tell she's already trying to help me out."
"She's like that. You'll love her. Just don't make her kill you."
"I hope I'm a dope ass mom like her."
"Whenever you're ready, just let me know. We can have some lil half breed rugrats."
"Don't think I'm having sex with you because you got me a job."
"That's not what I'm thinking. I don't want sex from you. I want to get to know you better. I can get sex anywhere." He stated. She felt embarrassed for saying it and a little jealous at the thought of him with another woman.
"Well aren't you just Mr. Popular?"
"Sometimes. It comes with being a rich kid."
"I bet you're spoiled. Mrs. Rodriguez probably cooks every morning and night for you guys and sticks up for you when it comes to your dad."
"Yep. My moms is the dopest around." He said with a smile. "She can pretty much get me out of any trouble when it comes to my dad."
"Wish I had a mother." She replied with her head down.
"What happened...if you don't mind me asking?"
"She left me at a police station and never returned. I found out she hung herself in prison."
"Damn Chris. I'm sorry." He looked down at her.
"You didn't do anything. It's whatever. I never knew her to feel bad. I'm just hurt I didn't have a mother who wanted me. You're lucky to have two parents. I was tossed in and out of foster homes. I went through all kind of ungodly shit."
"Well, I'm going to look out for you."
"I don't want your charity Naris. You've done enough with having your mom give me the job."
"It's not charity Christina. I told you, I was really starting to feel you." He admitted again.
"It's kind of hard for me to trust you on that."
"I'll give you a week to think about it then. Let's go. My moms will beat me if you don't get trained." He lead her to his work area and got in a desk next to him.
"You gonna be able to focus with me next to you?"
"Hell no. But it's worth a shot." He smiled. He did some things on the computer then walked over to the copier. He took the paper from it and quickly slid it through the lamination machine. "Your name tag." He turned to see her looking all over the building.
"Damn. That's quick." She smiled. He placed the tag on her cubical and lead her to the break room.
"You choose a locker, we supply the lock. Each team has their own fridge, so your lunch is pretty safe here. No one ever has issues with missing lunch. You'll get an hour lunch, Two fifteens, and sometimes if my parents are feeling nice, they'll get an extra break scheduled in." He explained to her then lead her around the entire floor introducing her to her new life.
"This place is dope as fuck. I should be able to get me a place soon." She said as they sat outside eating subway on their lunch break.
"Where are you staying?" He asked.
"With friends." She replied.
"Like different places, different nights? Or you and your friends live in one spot together?"
"Different friends, different nights." She responded before taking a bite of her sub. "And again, I don't need your charity."
"I'm seriously talking to my parents. We have like three extra rooms. My dad is even in the process of rebuilding our guest house."
"No. I refuse. Just stop. You're trying to rip my independence away from me. Let me struggle. I want to make it on my own. I don't want to feel like I owe anyone anything."
"You're stubborn."
"I'm a woman. What do you expect?"
"You to let me help you out."
"Why? Why is helping me so important to you?"
"Let me say it again.... I'm feeling you Christina. I've been feeling you for six months now. No, it's not just the sex because we haven't had sex in two months. Although I would love to beat that shit down again, I'm just trying to help. I'm a decent guy who sometimes gets caught up in my friends bullshit." He looked her in the eye letting her know he was serious.
She sat with her legs closed tightly. After the 'I would love to beat that shut down again,' line, she didn't register anything else. Her mind quickly flashed back to the first time he fucked her. She was anxious. She was acting crazy. He wasn't her first, but she hadn't been very sexually active. He taught her how to work her body on him so that they both could get off. After the time went on, she was completely unleashed. Once he broke it to her it was a bet, she spazzed out and decided to not speak to him again. Her newest friend had talked her into trying the stripping. She didn't know she'd be that good, but it wasn't for her.
"Earth to Christina." He waved his hand in front of her face.
"What?" She snapped back into reality.
"Where the hell did you go?" He shook his head.
"Our first time together..." She smiled. "And...our last." She looked extremely disappointed. Revealing the bet hurt her to her heart. She was starting to fall for him and he was getting paid for it.
"I'm sorry Chris. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize." He reached over the table and grabbed her hand. "I didn't know things would get that serious. It doesn't make it right but at the same time, I didn't plan on either of us catching feelings. It was supposed to be a one time thing and I found myself hooked on you. Next thing you know, we're four months down the road and I felt like I couldn't be in a serious relationship with you until you knew the truth."
"You humiliated me. They used to make little jokes and now I realize they were directed towards me. All the bickering like little fucking kids. That makes me feel stupid." She started to get emotional.
"I can only apologize. I don't know what to say. I fucked up with that."
"Yep. I fucked up believing in you." She shook her head.
"Well hopefully I have time to make it up to you and get back in your good graces. I still want you." He responded. "Every part of you."
She couldn't even look at him. She wanted him too but she was extremely upset that he had to take a bet to start with her in the first place. Naris really wasn't the type to run through females like his boys, but every now and then, he got stupid with them. What he did to her wasn't his normal cup of tea.
"Here comes my pops. Come find me when you're done." He got up from the table and met his dad in the office.
"What's up son?"
"Nothing pops. Just showing Christina around."
"That's the one your mom tells me you're interested in?"
"Yeah." Naris rubbed the back of his head.
"Make sure you're persistent. I bugged your mom until I got her. Once she gave in to me, life was great. Here we are, 15 years later."
"I kind of screwed up already. So, I have to work my way back in."
"You already slept with her?" Nigel raised an eyebrow at his son.
"Yeah. It was a bet but I started feeling her and I told her and she blew up on me."
"I can't say anything. The first chance I got to sleep with your mom, I took it. But, make sure you respect her decision to be intimate with you. Keep trying and show her that you still want her, even after the sex. Your mom was worried and swore up and down I'd sleep with her then find myself a new fix. I wanted her so bad, I wasn't even looking for anyone else."
"She's been through a lot in life and I've had everything handed to me I don't know if things will be as tight as you and ma."
"I lost my mother, sister, grandmother and father all in two years. I was left alone to take care of you with nothing. I had to work my ass off to get where I was. I also had a crack addict baby mother who killed herself. My life wasn't shit. Your mom didn't go through half the shit I did, but we'd didn't let that effect us. If you two really want each other, it'll work." Nigel explained.
"Thanks pops." Naris replied.
"Oh, you can have your Sundays off. Natasha is going to have to start picking up on her shifts."
"Nah. It's cool. I'll work Sundays." He smiled.
"She works Sundays, huh?"
"Yeah." He replied with a huge grin. "I'ma get her." He walked out of the office. He was going to get his girl, one way or another.