Love Across Colors (Urban BWWM Interracial Romance) Read online

  Already she was feeling flustered , and by the time she walked into the office, she was ready to go back home.

  “You too , huh?” Helen asked as she flopped down onto her seat, now pushing some damp loose hair s that were gathering at her temples and on her forehead. Helen was the office attendant and Melinda had taken a fancy to the woman ever since she had started working there a few months ago.

  “I feel like I haven’t slept for days,” Melinda complained.

  “You sound like someone who didn’t sleep last night. I wonder if I could fathom the reason for that,” she said and eyed Melinda suspiciously.

  Melinda was not as sharp this early , and it took her longer than a moment to realize what the woman was saying. “Oh no, it wasn’t that,” she said defensively. “Dad was on me again about grand children and all , and I guess it sort of bothered me a tad.”

  “ Oh, that,” she replied knowingly. “It must have been a tad if it bothered you at all,” she commented.

  “I guess,” Melinda said.

  “Well, I best get back to this cleaning. Mr. Walker wouldn’t like us standing here fooling around this early in the morning, and as we all know, no one has to be around for him to hear about that,” she said as she rolled her eyes and indicated the filing clerk who was lurking nearby who was rumored to be the office snitch.

  Melinda laughed. “Behave.” She walked off and left Helen to her cleaning and settled into her place as receptionist — - for the moment. No sooner had she sat down than the door buzzed , and she pressed the little button hidden underneath her desk to allow admittance. The man who walked in was no less than six feet tall , and his presence seemed to fill the lobbied area. He walked decisively to her.

  “Good Morning. I am here for a meeting with Mr. Walker,” he said, staring her dead in the eyes.

  Melinda froze for a second, entranced by his blue eyes and spiked blond hair and the perfect goatee framing pink lips and a perfect smile. When he stood there looking at her as if expecting something, she blinked rapidly and suddenly came to her senses. “Oh, what may I say is the nature of your visit, and who is calling?” she asked, blushing in the process.

  He smiled. “I am Wayne Rutherford, and I am here for the meeting concerning the installation of the application,” he told her.

  “Oh, that’s right. Please have a seat Mr. Rutherford. I will call Mr. Walker and let him know that you are here,” she said. He nodded and walked away, and for the entire time that his back was to her, Melinda could not help salivating. Helen saw her and could hardly prevent from doing the same. The women eyed each other , and Helen deliberately walked over to offer him coffee — - anything to begin a conversation with him. Melinda smiled, thinking the woman too ambitious, for though she was slender and beautiful, she was also the single mother of two and didn’t seem to be the right fit for a man like that. Melinda did not even place herself in the category, being of a lower class in society than he was obviously , and not even of the same race. She wouldn’t stand a chance, and furthermore he wasn’t even looking at her.

  She sighed as she picked up the phone from the cradle and called Mr. Walker to inform him of his guest. In a few minutes she was asked to show him in , and Melinda took great pleasure in the task. “Mr. Rutherford, right this way please,” she smiled as she spoke , and he returned the emotion. Melinda’s breath caught in her throat once more as he towered over her , and she was constantly aware of him behind her as she walked to Mr. Walker’s office. All kinds of thoughts were running through her head , and she imagined him now pinning her against the wall and having his way with her. She got to the door then and made a single knock. A voice boomed at her to enter , and she held the door for Mr. Rutherford to enter before closing it and breathing again. She leaned against the wall for a few seconds to gather her wits before she walked off to her post.

  No sooner than she could enter the lobby area , when she was attacked by Helen. “Who was that?” she asked excitedly.

  “Don’t you have enough children , Helen?” Melinda laughed.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t be trying to make babies with him at all. There seems to be finer things that could be done there,” she said as she eased back and craned her neck to peek down the passage way he had entered a few moments ago.

  “He is just a client of ours , ; here to install an application for our management operating systems ; , that’s all. I doubt we will even see him again after today.”

  “We? So you have noticed him? Want him for yourself , no doubt,” Helen mocked.

  “Come on , Helen. A man like that is way over our heads, but he sure is eye - candy and food for thought,” she told the woman.

  Helen looked at her seriously. “You do deserve a good man ; you know that , Mel? I am willing to give up this man to you for that very reason.”

  Melinda almost rolled over laughing. “Give him up for me? You say that like you have him.”

  “Didn’t you see the way he looked at me? Trust me ; , I could get that man if I wanted to,” she boasted, and Melinda couldn’t even doubt that she would too. “You however could use a proper . . . ... ”

  She didn’t get to finish as the door opened , and Mr. Walker stepped into the passage way. “Oh , Helen , there you are. Could you please bring me some tea?” he asked.

  “Sure thing , Mr. Walker Sir,” she said to her boss. She winked at Melinda before she walked off , and Melinda was happy to escape the mouthing she was just about to receive from the woman.

  She tried to focus on her work , but all she could think about was the man on the other side of the door. Did he notice her , and was he thinking of her as she was thinking of him? She had never dated outside of her own race before, but then, she had never tried either. Maybe she should have be en proactive and sa id y something to Mr. Rutherford before he left. She started clicking keys on her computer , and soon her Google keywords were Wayne Rutherford . , and a A fter browsing for about ten seconds, she found his image online. She clicked on image after image, soaking them up in her mind. So consumed was she that she didn’t notice when he came out of the office and walked over to her.

  When she looked up and saw him, she scrambled to minimize the screen so that he wouldn’t see her lusting after him. “Is there anything I can help with , Mr. Rutherford?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he replied , and his voice was soothing to her ears. “Mr. Walker has asked me to return in a few days to follow up as the application cannot be installed right away.”

  “Okay. Has he told you when to, so that I can register the information here in his planner?” she asked, barely able to keep her voice steady. So heavily was she breathing, and so desperately was she trying to hold it she now felt like she would faint.

  “I will call and inform you as to when exactly,” he said.

  “Alright. Will that be all?” she asked, knowing full well that this could never be all for her.

  “That will be all,” he told her and then turned to walk away.

  Say something, say something , ; a voice in her head kept telling her, but her lips seemed unable to finish that command. Just then, when he was about to open the door, he turned and came back to the desk.

  “Did you forget something?” she asked.

  “I did,” he said and fished inside for something from the hidden pocket in his blazer. He removed his hand and slid a piece of white paper across to her. “I forgot to leave that,” he said and winked at her.

  After he walked off she turned over the piece of paper and almost fell off her chair when she realized it was his business card. Helen returned at that instant to witness the act and now rushed over to inquire.

  “What? What was it?” she asked.

  “He left me his number,” she said and turned to the woman in wide - eyed wonder.

  Helen grabbed the piece of paper from her. “Wow. Seems he was looking at you after all.”

  “Maybe it was to call him back about his follow - up meeting,” Melinda said, trying not to sound
too hopeful.

  “And he wouldn’t have given that to Mr. Walker? He walked off and came back to give that to you. You had better call that man,” Helen advised.

  “Me? What do I say? Why didn’t he take mine if that was what he wanted?” she asked.

  “Because then it would have seemed unprofessional. Him leaving you his number was easier to do under the circumstances. You need to get out more , and if ever there was a reason, that is one,” she said as she pointed after the man who had just left.

  Melinda’s heart fluttered , and she placed her hand over the spot to quiet en it. “I can’t believe it,” she beamed.

  “Believe it, and call the man,” Helen said as she walked off before they would should attract the attention of more than just the office snitch.

  The rest of the day was a blur for Melinda as her only thought was on this man and what this would mean if she did get together with him. Several times throughout the day Helen would pass by and mouth the words ‘call him’ to her, but she would wave her off each time. By the time Melinda was ready to go home, her nerves were jelly and she could not bring herself to call the man at all. She slipped out of the office before Helen could should railroad her into calling and hurried down the street and to the bus station.

  On the way home, Marcus rushed to meet her as always, but today, she didn’t have the nerve to chase him away. “Hi , Marcus,” she said even though she kept walking.

  The young man almost fainted that she was actually being civil for a change. “What has gotten into you today?” he asked.

  “What? You always talk , and now that I answer you are surprised? If you never expected me to be nice, why did you keep talking?”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t want you to answer; I was just thrown for a second. So how was your day?” he asked her.

  “I had a wonderful day, thank you,” she smiled. Some of his friends called to him now , and she could see the regret on his face.

  “I have to go and deal with something, but I still want to have this conversation with you. Can I come to your place later?” he persisted.

  Melinda patted him on the cheek and smiled. “Not today , Marcus. Won’t happen,” and she walked off before he could find any other words to say. Melinda was walking with a spring in her step now , and only for an idea; after all, she had said nothing to Mr. Rutherford, but just the idea that he had shown interest was enough to make her swoon. By the time she walked through the door, she was beaming like a beacon on a hill , and her illuminating presence could not escape her father.

  “Must have been a great day,” he said as he walked toward s her.

  She grinned. “What makes you say that? This day was like any other,” she teased.

  “Oh no. Every other day you drag yourself here like the world is on your shoulder s and you are charged with balancing it like the God Atlas. No, something different happened today.”

  Melinda only smiled, and that only kept Melvin pressing even more. “Aah, you met a man,” he said to her.

  Melinda opened wide eyes at him. “How did you come to that conclusion?” she asked.

  “I was born a long time ago , and I can recognize when a woman is whipped, even if she is my daughter,” he grinned.

  Melinda had never been able to fool her father , and she now admitted why she was feeling this happy. “Okay. This gentleman came to the office today to work on an application. We had invited him there , but I had no idea what he looked like, until today. Dad, when he came in I was awe struck and could barely find words. I was a basket case,” she admitted.

  Melvin laughed. “That happens sometimes. So, what happened after?” he relaxed into the sofa and gave her his undivided attention.

  “Well, he went in with Mr. Walker , and when he came out and was about to leave, he slipped me his business card. I am not sure how to interpret that. Does he want me to call him? Was it for the sake of the business that he did that?”

  “I don’t think so,” her father said. “How exactly did he give it to you?”

  “He told me that he will be back in a few days for a follow-up , and then he walked off. When he got to the door, he walked back and told me that he had forgotten something. When I asked what, he gave me his card and said ‘that’ and then walked away.”

  “I think that number was meant for you,” Melvin told her.

  “What makes you think that?” Melinda asked, confusion marring her features.

  “You said you had called him a few days ago to invite him in to talk about the application right?” he continued when she nodded in the affirmative. “That would mean that the business already has his number. The one he gave you was for you.”

  Melinda sat there looking at her father as if he w ere as a genius. “Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked. “Helen kept telling me to call him, but I wasn’t sure of that. Is it appropriate for the woman to be the first to call?”

  “Back in the day perhaps not. Nowadays I see women doing all sorts of things they wouldn’t normally do, including calling the man first. Since he did give you his number I don’t believe it would appear too forward.”

  “Why didn’t he just ask me for mine?” she pouted. “I can’t stand the pressure. I’m not used to this.”

  Melvin laughed once more. “Well, you can either call him and see how much he is interested , ; or you can sit here and torture yourself about whether or not he really likes you rather than just asking him directly , ; or you can do nothing and hope that eventually he will get your number and call you , ; or you can sit back and let him get away, but by the looks of things I can see how easily and deeply he has already affected you.”

  Melinda could not help but admit her father was right. If she did nothing, there was the possibility that he would slip through her fingers and walk right out of her life. That was not something she was willing to let happen, especially since he had given her his number. It meant he was expecting her to call him. “Okay , Dad, I get the picture. Thanks for the chat,” she said as she moved away from the old man after placing a kiss upon his forehead.

  “Anytime , kiddo. Now hurry up and make me some grand children,” he threw at her, but she side stepped the comments for the moment. She went to her room and took the card from her pocket and stood there staring at it. Then she reached for her cellular phone and punched in the numbers. She placed the device at her ear and listened to it while it rang. As soon as she heard his smooth baritone on the other end, she panicked and hung up.

  She threw herself on the bed face - first and pummeled the sheets with her little fists. “Why is this so hard?” she asked herself, but no response came. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, and even when the phone started vibrating in her hands, she could not build up the nerve to talk to him. What would she do when she saw him next? Melinda groaned and buried her face in her pillow, anxious to talk to the man who had affected her this much this soon , but lacking the will to.

  Chapter 3

  The following days did not bring Melinda more luck or strength of wit. On several occasions she took out her phone to dial his number, but she was always unsure of what to say.

  "Have you called him as of yet?" asked Helen as she got into the office, two days later.

  "No , Helen. I can't seem to. Last night I tried again , and I clammed up."

  "You must be joking. A man like that passes you his number , and you actually hesitate to call? You know what, give me his number. Let me call him since you have no use for him."

  Melinda laughed. "It's not that. It's just that it has been so long since I've dated anyone. I'm a little shy you know," she admitted.

  "And it is that same attitude that will keep you alone for the rest of your life."

  Melinda held her head down, absorbing the truth as it left Helen's mouth and into her consciousness like a wet sponge. "I know, but I can't be something I'm not, and I'm not used to being with a man like him , or having to make the first move technically. Now I wish I had bee
n the one to give him my number first."

  There was a thud in the direction of the main entrance , and when the women paused and directed their attention there, they saw Wayne stumbling through the door, having struck his foot against the object as it was being closed.

  "Why don't we find out then?" Helen asked her, although she was not sure Melinda had heard as she sat there dumbfounded.

  "Good m M orning," he said to her as he walked up, staring her directly in her eyes.

  Melinda's hands trembled , and her knuckles grew white as she gripped the edge of the desk. "Good m M orning," she however managed to say. "Mr. Walker has been expecting you."

  She got up then to direct him to the office, but this time she let him pass her for fear he would see what a nervous wreck she was slowly becoming. He turned and smiled at her , and it took all her mental faculties to not melt onto the floor like a Popsicle on a hot day , and return his smile. Once he disappeared behind the door she gripped her chest, right where her heart was pounding like a hammer , and hastened back to her post. She sipped some of the water from the glass at her desk and fanned her face with the other hand to rapidly calm her nerves.

  "Get a hold of yourself," Helen whispered as she passed. "He will be coming back."

  Melinda wanted to visit the ladies' room but didn't for fear she would miss him when he returned. The task of concentrating became rather difficult for her, and she transferred several calls to incorrect extensions. She received a few curious looks from the members of staff, what few there were that she interacted with, and had to make several apologies as the calls were returned to her.

  By the time Wayne came back from Mr. Walker's office, Melinda was ready to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. Wayne stopped by her desk , and she sat there looking at him with wild eyes. He made a slight chuckle.

  "How about you give me your number," he said and then peered over her desk so that he could see the name written on her monitor. "Melinda. That's a beautiful name befitting of a beautiful lady," he continued , and Melinda just sat there.