Page 19 of Divine Sense

Not even my mother.

12

KOLBI

“Fuck you, Denis,” Conrad groaned from his chair.

I looked around at my three best friends who were sitting at my dining room table for another week. Our Wednesday ritual of beer and D and D bringing us together now that we were all back living in the city. My eyes scanned around the table and watched as Malcolm threw his head back laughing and Hank shook his own.

“Listen,Tolith,” Malcolm sneered at Conrad, using his character name to address him. “It’s not my fault you’re cheap as hell and didn’t want to buy off the guard to let you out. Maybe next time don’t be so stingy and fork over the cash like he asks.”

“Maybe next time you shouldn’t try to sweet talk your way out of getting caught stealing and we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place!” Conrad’s face was getting red as he leaned across the table, pointing a finger in Malcolm’s face. Conrad was always the one to get a little too riled up during game play.

“Woah, brother, take a breath,” I started, waving my hand down towards him.

“Yeah, don’t worry Tolith, I’ll get you out of there on my next roll.” My eyes went to Hank, but more specifically, where he sat. In the same chair she sat nearly two weeks ago eating my mama’s morning hash. While Hank’s built frame and curly hair filled the space, I could still imagine her soft complexion and dark waves sitting across from me, sharing a meal.

When her message came up on my phone on Monday, part of me wanted to ignore it completely. If it were any other client texting me, especially in a personal way, I would have asked Kendall to politely call them and request that they contact me through my office. The business card I gave her was only one I gave to my most important clients, which is why it had my personal number listed on it. I had no idea when I gave it to her that she would use it as a general chat line. The way she called me ‘Jack’ always made me grin and one too many times now Kendall has walked into my office and caught me rereading our text messages and smiling like a moron because of it. If she wasn’t so good at her job, I would have fired her by now for the several third degrees she had given me over the last few weeks. I could send her to HR, but I had hired a horny old lady to head up my HR department after she brought homemade grits to her interview. Sending Kendall to Margie would only result in both of them standing on the other side of my desk asking me questions I don’t have the answers to.

“Kolb? You listening dude?” Hearing my name, I blinked a few times and looked at the voice. Malcolm sat across from me, eyebrows raised, giving me a sideways glance.

“Uh, no, sorry. I was lost in a work thought, what happened?”

“What work thought?” Hank glanced over at me casually before peering over his shoulder to check on Bailey who was reading in the other room. That girl always had her nose in a new book every time she came over for game night and would spend the hours we played happily curled up on the couch reading.Watching my friend watch his girl with such adoration reminded me of the feelings I experienced while I watched Magnolia sleeping soundly in my guest room upstairs. The way her dark hair splayed behind her like fine silk and how soft her hand felt in mine that I held as I sat next to her. “Hello? Kolbi? What work thought?”

“Oh, just an email I got from a business over in Mount Pleasant asking about a new system install,” I lied, trying to cover up where my mind actually was.

On my flower.

She’s notyourFlower, she’s your client. Stop thinking about her like anything other than just a client.

“I thought you were going to mention that Christmas party that’s in two weeks.” Hank huffed out a sigh and curled his lip in annoyance as he spoke.

“What Christmas party in two weeks?” Malcolm questioned, rolling the die in one hand as he took a sip of his beer with another.

“The Sinclairs are hosting their annual Christmas party in two weeks, it’s all hands on deck because it’s the first, unofficial yet totally official, campaign event for William. Half of our major clients will be there that night which means I will have to be there too.” Hank leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. The way he spoke told me that he was annoyed he had to go.

“You have a problem with that?” I raised a brow at my friend and tried to stay squarely in the role offriendand not lean too far into the role ofboss.Hank and I did a good job of keeping our friendship and professional lives separate, but sometimes that line got blurred.

“No,” Hank shot back quickly, shaking his head back and forth feverishly. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, it’s just that I was going to surprise Bailey with tickets to see the Nutcrackerthat same night before I knew I’d have to attend. Now I can’t change our ticket times because all the other shows are sold out.” His head fell and he studied his hands as if they would give him a solution to his problem.

“Well I’m going to the party so I can take your place. We can discuss the security plan you have set beforehand and I’ll cover you.” I thought my tight smile and small nod would be enough to get him to accept what I’d just told him but it wasn’t. Hank stared at me through squinted eyes and studied me hard.

“Youare going to a client function? Since when? You’re always so ‘I let my people do their job, I trust them with my life’ while at work.” I rolled my eyes at Conrad and Malcolm who laughed when he dropped his voice two octaves lower and spoke slowly to sound more like me. “Why are you going to this one?”

“Because the family asked me to attend. That’s why.”

“When did they ask you? I haven’t seen any request come in from William or Susan, and she emails me at least once a day,” he shot back quickly. “And more importantly, why are they asking you to come?”

“Why are you giving me the third degree about this? I just gave you an out so you could take your girl to the show and now you’re questioning it?” I tried to tame the fire in my voice because I knew it wasn’t there because of his questions. It was there because of the feelings I felt growing in my gut for a girl I shouldn’t want.

“Everything okay in here?” a soft voice said from across the table. All four of us turned to look at Bailey who was standing behind Malcolm’s chair on the other side of the table from Hank and I. The tension at the table disbursed instantly as her voice filled the room and I took a breath.

“Yes, hermosa?*, everything’s fine.” Hank leaned in once she reached his chair and gave her a kiss.

“Seemed a little heated when I was walking in, something happen in the game?” Her brows were furrowed and her blonde hair swung behind her as she cocked her head and gave me a look.

“We were just talking about Christmas plans,” Malcolm chimed in, trying to turn the attention away from the obvious riff Hank and I were having.

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