Strictly Business.

A gloomy Friday in the office wasn’t ideal, neither was the coffee stain on my blouse. My sales pitch was almost complete after weeks of researching and analyzing effective strategies to yield yet another lucrative quarter for our marketing agency. Although I still needed to work on my proposal, I was relieved to have the rudiments and supporting data archived and prepared to be incorporated into the conjoined presentation slides. Collaborating on this project with anyone else would’ve made me apprehensive, but since it wasn’t with just anyone, I was more inclined to learn all aspects of it, and all aspects of him, too.

In the midst of checking emails while simultaneously worsening the blemish on my shirt, the aroma of a lavender vanilla latte awakened my senses, diverting my attention from my computer screen, to the gentleman standing in my doorway…Caleb.

“I see you’ve had your coffee already, but did you at least get to drink some?” He joked, referring to the spillage.

“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny,” I retorted.

“Hopefully this will make up for it. It’s just how you like it: a double shot of espresso with almond milk, two pumps of vanilla, and three pumps of lavender syrup,” he recounted, not surprising me at all.

Caleb was observant. He paid attention to detail and sometimes over-analyzed certain responsibilities, but then again, I couldn’t always fault him since he was one of the senior leads in our organization. He occupied a much more vital role than most of us, subsequently holding him at a greater regard. He was poised, yet assertive, but his demeanor always softened when it came to me. I’m not even sure if he’d noticed. Due to his busy traveling schedule, I only saw him in person occasionally, but when I did, he made sure to make his way to my office and give me his unwavering attention, and I made sure to reciprocate.

Caleb’s tattoos peeked above his collar and tie, etched against his copper-toned Adam’s apple as he stood six feet tall in front of me. His biceps and pectorals flexed when he talked with his hands, distracting me from whatever the hell he was saying. Navy blue, perfectly tailored pants left just enough room above his oak-toned dress shoes, exposing his complimentary socks. He exuded this…bad boy look, but he was such a nerd when it came to this industry, considering the strategizing and statistics of it all. That may have been what I cherished most about him. He was multifaceted…layered…sexy.

“No pressure, but how’s the presentation coming along? Need help with anything?” He inquired, bringing me back to reality.  

“I’ve completed mostly everything. Now I just have to make it make sense to the directors, and we all know they only have a few brain cells left.”

Caleb chuckled and nodded in agreeance, “This is true, and your best bet is to demonstrate and dissect each category for them, visually. Once you do that, expound on each classification to make sure they’re actually comprehending your viewpoint. “Let me show you.”

Caleb walked around my desk to stand behind me, shooing my hand off of the mouse as he looked down at me, daring me to react—which I didn’t, but my pussy did.

I slightly shifted over so that he could have a better look without my curls blocking the screen, but he didn’t let me go far as he stopped my chair from inching any further. He hovered over my shoulder while browsing through each power point slide, then rolled me back to the center of my computer, offering his constructive criticism:

“Here is where it would be best to insert a comparison chart,” he pointed, “that way, you can validate the how’s and why’s of each strategy, highlighting what’s least effective compared to what’s most effective toward your target audience,” he clarified.

Caleb planted an arm on each side of me, enfolding me between them as he inserted various tables and figures, showing me his favorite methods to use for his presentations. It became almost impossible to concentrate as the notes of his cologne emitted into the atmosphere in unison with the feeling of his breath on my skin. My hair glided against his shirt as I nodded, affirming my acknowledgment of his feedback. The insides of his arms unrelentingly secured me in place as he continued clicking and clacking, because at this point, that’s all I could hear.

The rumble of thunder made us both jump. The floor to ceiling windows in my small, yet cozy office exposed the dark gray clouds, chaotic rainfall, and wind gusts from our high-rise building into the inner city of Seattle. Another roar of thunder sounded as though the sky split into a million pieces, knocking the power out and leaving us to solely rely on the dreary lighting from outside and a vanilla-scented candle I had burning in the corner. Luckily, my laptop battery was fully charged because I was determined to complete the remainder of my tasks to avoid working over the weekend.

“That must be my cue to tend to my own work,” Caleb sighed, stepping back to give me my personal space again.

“Oh, so you’re just going to leave me alone…in the dark? Some coworker you are,” I kidded.

“I can go get my laptop and work in here with you,” he suggested before slowly licking his lips as he gazed into my eyes. “Is that what you want, Mariah?”

My nipples hardened as I felt myself pulsate, then proceeded with a nod.

Caleb got closer, placing his hands into his pockets. “Is that a yes, or a no? Use your words.”

“Yes,” I answered, like a teenage girl.

Returning with his belongings, he sat on the brown leather seat across from me, sharing my desk. Although my head was facing downward into the screen, my eyes were incessantly watching his every move. The veins in his hands were profound, moving with the rhythm of his fingers as he typed. He was in his element—so driven, so ambitious.

“What?” He questioned with a grin.

I was so lost in my thoughts, I’d barely realized that he noticed me, noticing him.

“Uh…nothing,” I answered in embarrassment, tidying up a few papers that were messily spread out.

Picking up the coffee to take a sip, I noticed the smirk on Caleb’s face as I placed it back down.

“Can I help you?” I asked, sarcastically.

He smiled. “No, but you just helped yourself…to my drink.”

I froze. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I’ll go downstairs and get you another one. It tastes just like mine so I couldn’t even tell the difference,” I explained as I stood to retrieve my wallet from my purse that was hanging behind the door.

“Mariah, sit your ass down,” he laughed. “It’s cool as long as you haven’t been putting other things in your mouth,” he clowned, flinching as I hit his arm, which hurt me more than it hurt him.

“I should be more worried about what’s been going in your mouth.”

His eyebrows furrowed as he reeled his head back. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?” He asked, definitely taking offense.

“Nothing,” I innocently replied, though provoking him.

I rolled my eyes and swiveled in my chair to place a few folders in my file cabinet, acting as though I was too preoccupied to engage any further with the topic at hand. But he was right. I did have a preconception about him, because how can a guy like him not have all the pussy in the world in his face, just ready and willing to give it up?

“Don’t nothing me. Is that what you think of me? Damn.”

“Caleb, it was just a joke. Relax.”

“Nah. You hurt my feelings.”

I laughed at his exaggerated, fake frown and offered him a hug as he gently rejected it and continued pretending to be upset. 

“But seriously, do you think I’m out here just wilding like that?” Caleb inquired.

“I mean, you tell me. You’re prestigious, handsome, and you seem to have your priorities in order, so what woman wouldn’t try their hand with you?”

“Mariah, if you have a crush on me, just say that,” he quipped.

“Boy, bye! This thing we have…the harmless flirting, treating me to coffee and lunch, the little meetings to check in on my progress, they’re all are cute, but this…this is strictly business. You know that, Caleb.”

“Actually I didn’t know that,” he countered. “Do you really think I’d be in here with you in the fucking dark if that’s all it was?” He asked.

I widened my eyes and whispered, “Lower your voice.”

He swiftly got up and shut the door to continue expressing the feelings that I was oblivious he had toward me—toward us.

“Mariah, I know we’re colleagues, but some things, I just can’t avoid. You’re thinking I’m out here with a roster of women, when the only woman I even think about is you. Isn’t it obvious? Even when I’m on travel duty, I send you my itinerary. Shit, I check in with you before I check-in for my flight. Do you think all of that is for no reason? Or, since you’ve already made up your mind about me, you can’t even see it for what it is?”

I took another sip of coffee, unsure and uncaring of whose it was. I just needed a sip.

“If I’m being honest, Caleb, I try to avoid my feelings for you every day. I mean, look at us. We’re young, black, and thriving in corporate America. We clicked since the day I started when you took me under your wing to show me the ropes, which I will always appreciate. Our bond is inseparable, even when you’re not physically here. We have a connection that I don’t want to ruin.”

He trailed behind me as I went along the wall, straightening up the knickknacks on the shelves for some sort of distraction. He gently grabbed my wrist to stop me.

“Are you going to continue avoiding your emotions? Are we really going to miss out on what we could be, now that we both know what it is?”

"There’s a fine line between business and pleasure, and—”

“And…we know which lines not to cross,” he interjected. “When we’re here, we keep it professional, when we’re not, we keep it personal. Simple. No need to overcomplicate things.”

I closed my eyes as he continued confessing his sentiments in my ear, resisting the urge to show him exactly what I’ve been suppressing for the past year.

“Look at me,” he murmured.

Caleb’s nose brushed mine as he winked at me. He still had a hold on my wrist, bringing my hand to his face and sliding it down his cheek. I leaned into him, pushing my breast against his chest while looking into his eyes. I was overwhelmed with stifled emotions and was in dire need to finally unveil them. His lips pressed onto mine, then parted them with his tongue. I could taste the sweetness that remained in his mouth, thirsting for more. The bulge in his pants protruded in agony, longing to be released, so I freed him. Gradually descending into a squatting position, I slowly took him in, accentuating my lips each time I slithered down his shaft, to the tip. The veins residing on his dick were almost as prominent as the ones on his hands, as I traced them with my tongue. The excess saliva facilitated capturing his entire length down my air passage. He placed a hand along my throat, ensuring to feel himself thrusting inside of me. I glanced up with teary eyes, realizing he was in absolute bliss. Quickly pulling me up, he turned me around, ensuring I could get whatever he had left before erupting. I nudged my booty out to assist as he navigated my slit and found my opening, making me gasp. He got deeper with every stroke, opening me up more, and more. His head plunged against my cervix, yielding excessive amounts of secretion, glistening on his dark flesh.

“Fuck…Ca…Caleb,” I whimpered.

“Shhh…be quiet and take it, baby. It’s yours.”

A moan escaped from what felt like my soul, which was a little louder than either of us expected. He secured his tie over my mouth while simultaneously caressing my internal muscles with his own. He continued pounding with no mercy, taking what was now his. I was hoping the hard rain against the window concealed the even harder smacking of our skin. His fingers delved into my hips. I could feel him separate us inch by inch, preparing himself to eject.

“Mariah…you’re gripping me so tight. Ease up, baby,” he suggested with heavy breaths. My ass recoiled against him as he gripped my hair, pulling harder, and harder. Then, rapidly pulling out…

“Aaaah fuuuuuuck…” he groaned, as quietly as he possibly could, releasing on the small of my back.

Caleb untied the knot from his tie, liberating my mouth again. He attempted fixing my disheveled hair. It didn’t help, but he tried. Turning me to face him, we peered into each other, realizing this was much deeper than we’d thought, and knew we were ready to explore our undying chemistry even more. Our eyes squinted as the lights flickered back on, suddenly reminding us of where we were and who we were. We assembled ourselves to appear the same way we arrived, as quickly as we could.

A notification from my computer chimed, alerting me that I had fifteen minutes until my nine-thirty meeting with a potential client.

After fixing his tie, Caleb cuffed my chin with his hand, planted a tender kiss on my forehead, and breathlessly stated, “Back to work,” followed up with a complimentary smack on my ass.

So much for keeping things…strictly business.