Unraveled - A Short Story Collective (3 page)

I told that bastard I would get him, he should have believed me,
Cyiarra thought smiling once more and snuggling closer to Spade.
Karma’s a bitch ain’t it?

Copyright © 2008 KR Bankston

Bait
-n-Switch

Office Romance with a Twist

Prologue

“Morning people,” Jackie greeted everyone as she entered the office and made her way to her desk.

She worked in the eligibility department for a major discount and senior drug program company, called Data Collection Affiliates, or DCA. She’d been there for the last four years and had seen many come and go. Not to mention the numerous office scandals and romances
, with the past few months being no exception.

“Hey Jackie, wassup?” Kina greeted her.

Jackie returned the woman’s greeting and shook her head slightly. There’s the first side, she thought to herself chuckling slightly at the love square that was currently going on in the office. Normally Jackie got a few moments of solitude early in the morning when she first arrived, since no one else really worked the 6:30 to 2:00 shift like she did. She assumed Kina was here to make a little overtime. Jackie grabbed her coffee mug and headed to the break room. She just wanted to relax and unwind a little before the rest of the crew came in and the bullshit started again for a new day.

*****

Chrissalyn checked her reflection before leaving for work. It wasn’t that she had a great love for DCA but it paid her bills while she worked on her masters’ degree. Her cell rang and she smiled as she looked at the display. “Boy it’s early as hell, what do you want?” she asked jokingly into the phone.

“Damn Chriss, you don’t show a brotha no love do you?” Lathan threw back.

This was her friend, her buddy, her accomplice in mischief, and depending on whom you asked, the man she was screwing.

“You know I love you Lathan,” she replied still chuckling, “But at 7:00 in the morning, yo’ ass is up to no good” she finished and he burst into laughter with her.

“I just called to see if you wanted something from Dunkin when I stop this morning?” he asked and Chrissalyn sighed deeply.

“You know that won’t do nothing but start drama Lathan,” she told him tiredly.

“Chriss, how many times I gotta tell you, I’m a man, 150% man” he told her and she chuckled again.

“Uh, yeah” she replied and they laughed again.

“Seriously Chriss, do you want something?” he asked again and she told him what to bring her. “No prob, see you at 8:00,” Lathan replied disconnecting.

Chrissalyn smiled again recalling their conversation, before frowning, knowing the chaos him bringing her breakfast would cause. She honestly couldn’t figure out what the problem was. She and Lathan were friends, period. They had this deep connection that not many people understood, so she guessed that was the reason so many naturally assumed they were sleeping together.
Gonna have to kick Alisha’s ass today
, Chrissalyn thought to herself and sighed deeply. No one at work knew about their affair and they’d done a great job of keeping it that way until Alisha decided that Chrissalyn was a threat. Chriss sighed once again, grabbing her purse and heading out the door, praying for strength to endure yet another day.

Lathan was thinking about Chrissalyn as he drove. He felt especially guilty recalling the sensuous dream he’d had about her the night before. Thinking about it now, still awakened deeply repressed desires.
Stop it man, you two can never have anything together
, he thought to himself, although his manhood didn’t seem to be taking the hint. Chrissalyn was fine in every sense of the word, but she wasn’t cocky about it. That more than anything turned Lathan on. He liked the fact that they could really talk, about any and everything. She was very bright and very worldly even at twenty-three.

He sighed again, this being the number one reason he didn’t want to even think of them in a relationship. He was thirty-five and soon to be thirty-six. What would be said if they hooked up?
She wouldn’t have you anyway, not now especially,
Lathan thought again sighing deeply as he pulled into the drive-thru of the doughnut shop.

He was sleeping with Alisha and she assumed they were an item. Lathan wasn’t too sure what they were. He basically put up with her and the bullshit because she was a good screw. He’d had her in every conceivable way, shape, and form. The newness had long since worn off and was becoming boring. Trouble was she’d managed to convince herself she was in love. Now she was clingy and possessive, prone to tantrums and outbursts at the worst possible times.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into
, he thought tiredly as he paid for his order and headed to the office.

“Hey girl” Kina greeted Alisha cheerfully.

The two were long time friends and completely compatible.

“Hey,” Alisha greeted her and Kina picked up the tone.

“What’s wrong with you today?” she asked slightly annoyed.

1

J
ackie was doing her usual and half listening as Alisha droned on and on about her relationship with Lathan and his lack of enthusiasm toward it.
Why does this woman insist upon bothering me,
Jackie thought as she sat listening. For some reason, everyone seemed she was the go-to woman for conflict resolution.

“Well what is it exactly you want the man to do?” Jackie threw back and watched the woman closely wondering if she would admit the truth.

Alisha sighed deeply and told her she just wanted him to take her and their commitment seriously.

“OK, but I thought ya’ll was just cut buddies,” Jackie mentioned, recalling an earlier conversation when she’d first discovered Alisha and Lathan were sleeping together.

Alisha sighed again. “Well, yeah, it started that way, but you know how it is when you’re with someone.”

“No, not really, cause me personally, I’m worth more than that, so I’d never agree to no bullshit like that, but hey I guess that’s some of that new age stuff,” Jackie replied and Alisha was slightly offended.

She took a deep breath trying to keep in mind the woman was from another era. Jackie was in her later forties, possibly early fifties and had a tongue like a razor.

“But anyway,” Jackie began again. “You in it now, so you want what, to be married?” she threw at Alisha, who opened her mouth to answer just as Lathan walked into the area, arms filled with bags.

“Good morning,” Lathan greeted them both, but looking directly at Jackie as he handed her a bag.

“Thanks Lathan,” she replied removing her croissant from the bag.

He smiled and told her she was welcome, casting a quick glance at Alisha and walking away. Jackie fought hard to suppress the smile that wanted to come to her face, seeing the woman deflated from Lathan’s dismissal of her presence. Jackie again heard animated voices and looked up to see Chrissalyn enter the office, running into Lathan as he left.

“Well there you are,” he boomed smiling brightly at the young woman

“Hey Lathan,” she replied chuckling lightly, as he handed her a bag also. “Wait a minute,” Chrissalyn began as she rummaged through the bag. “Why are half my hash browns gone?” she asked giving Lathan a look.

“Huh? What? Who died?” he replied and she burst into laughter as he scampered away.

Shaking her head and still chuckling Chrissalyn headed for her desk. Jackie was watching Alisha after the exchange, the look of hatred plainly pasted on her face.

“I can’t stand that bitch,” Alisha mumbled under her breath.

“You say something?” Jackie asked, already having heard the statement.

“No, not really” Alisha returned sighing lightly.

Chrissalyn took in the two women as she arrived and spoke. “Good morning” she said generically as Jackie smiled and returned her greeting.

Alisha simply sucked her teeth. Chrissalyn sighed deeply and sat down turning on her computer to begin her day.

              “Well, see here’s the thing,” Jackie began looking directly at Alisha, “You got two choices right now. You can accept that your man has a female friend that you’ll never like and move on, or,” she took a breath before continuing. “You can keep acting like you’re twelve with your first crush, and piss him off, leaving you to find yourself, by yourself,” she finished evenly and returned to her breakfast.

Alisha sighed deeply, slightly irritated that the woman wasn’t giving her any information she could use.
That’s okay, me and my girl Kina will handle this shit
, she thought as she left Jackie’s office and headed back to her desk.

Chrissalyn sat at her desk, heart heavy, close to tears. She was sick and tired of all the drama she was enduring just because she and Lathan were friends.
It’s not my fault she’s insecure, she needs to grow up
, she thought dejectedly of Alisha’s childlike antics. She and Lathan had fun and talked about everything, and depending on their mood, everyone. Chrissalyn chuckled at the thought and sighed again. When she’d first learned about him and Alisha, it was okay. The woman had at least been cordial, even going to the extraordinary lengths of trying to befriend her, an attempt that quickly fell to the wayside to be replaced by intense dislike.
Guess she figured if she kept me close, she’d have that inside track huh
, Chrissalyn thought again as Devon walked in.

“Wassup Chrissy Chris?” he greeted her
, smiling cheerfully.

Chrissalyn laughed and told him nothing much.

“Hey! Hey!” he said feigning indignation. “Why didn’t
I
get any breakfast?” Chrissalyn laughed again and told him he needed to take that up with his boy.

“Oh I will, but I know it’s cause I’m white ain’t it?” he threw out and Chrissalyn cracked up.

Devon was far from white, being a deep creamy chocolate. She watched as he walked over to Lathan’s office and began his protest. The two men were soon doubled over with laughter and she smiled looking

them both over appreciatively. She could understand Alisha’s attraction. Lathan was a good looking man. He was tall, about six foot three, nice abs and chest, dreamy brown eyes with a nice smile. He kept his hair cut close to his head and it waved nicely. He only wore a mustache, but it was always neatly manicured and added to his already pleasant features.