The Favor

Koi

I stretched back in my chair, rolling my shoulders to help with the stiffness. "Christ," I groaned under my breath as I took in my work load. I'd barely gotten through today's paperwork and there was still more on the way.

The ringing of my office phone pulled me out of my thoughts. I pulled the phone to my ear. "Mr. Sumpter your mother is on line three. Would you like me to tell her you're busy or transfer her over?" I groaned. Not only did I have to deal with work, but also my mother. Don't get me wrong I love my mother but she could be a bit overbearing.

“Mr. Sumpter?," Sandy questioned.

"You can transfer her over Sandy," I said before hanging up on Sandy and clicking on line three.

"Hi mommy,"I put a little bit of energy in my voice to try and stop the inevitable. I was gonna at least try and butter her up, so she can have mercy on my poor soul.

"Don't 'mommy' me, Koi." I couldn't help but laugh a little, this wasn't the greeting I expected.

She sighed " Listen Koi, I know you're tired of me lecturing and berating you but I'm just worried about you. You just bury yourself in work and never have time for anything." I didn't want her to worry, she already had to deal with enough.

"I know mom..., I'm sorry." I raked my fingers through my hair as I paced around my desk. "I'm fine. I promise, I'm just busy with work." It wasn't a complete lie, I was busy with work but I wasn't fine. I'm stressed and tired but work brought my mind comfort and control. It kept my mind off thing.

"You're my son Koi, I can tell when you're lying," She raised her voice slightly as she scolded me. It's like I can feel her giving me a death glare through the phone. I had to admit she always knew when I was lying, but I wasn't going to admit it.

"I'm fine mom." I lifted my coffee cup to my lips to only be left with the little sip of coffee that remained.

"Ok Koi, but I think you should go out more often. It might help with getting over her." I could hear hurt in my mother's voice just at the mention of her. Lord, don't mothers really know how to hit a nerve.

I couldn't stand to even think about her, better yet speaking about her. The thought of It made me feel sick to my stomach. How could she do this to me? And with my father of all people. She used me for all that she could getting and left me for my father.

"Mom, stop please." I pinch the bridge of my nose to get rid of my new found headache.

"Your father hurt the both of ..." I interrupted. " My sperm donor," I said in a stern tone. "Koi, you can't let bitterness overwhelm your emotions. He is your father and it will always be that way."

Bullshit, he stopped being my father when he slept with my fiancé and left my mother in shambles. I kept quiet for my mother sake.

"Just promises me you'll go out more and work less." The clicks of my office door caught my attention. I turned my attention towards my the door where my business partner Wales walked in with a stack of papers in his hands. Wales gestured towards the phone a mouthed "who is that." I waved him off.

Wales was the son of a close family friend. We'd known each other since childhood and worked together since college. He is my best friend and business partner in one. He could be as dumb as rock sometimes but knew everything business and women.

"Ok mom I promise, but I really have to go, love you," I said before hanging up before getting an answer back. I already knew that she was gonna include that in her next lecture.

"I had Marcy from finances review the files for the meeting today like you asked." He threw the stack of papers on my desk. "This is all of it?," I questioned as I flipped through the pages.

"Yup," he answered popping the p at the end, I could tell he was agitated.

"Is that all you needed?" Wales questioned.

"Yup," i emphasized the p like he did as I slid on my glasses and got to work. He slowly made his way to the door before I stopped him. "oh Wales can you run and get me a coffee?"

"Hell no man, I've got a meeting in... fifteen minutes." He glanced down at his watch. "where is your hot assistant anyway? Marla right?"

"Her name is Marcy and she resigned due to health complications with her mother. I swear I already told you this." He was only making my headache worse. I rubbed my eyes trying to get rid of the stabbing pain in my head.

"Oh you did say that. What a shame, I've been try to get at that ever since you hired her." He made a banging gesture with his hand and couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Wow, very professional Wales," I scoffed as I continued to focus on my work.

"Isn't Samantha filling in for her temporarily? Why don't you ask her?"

"Yes her name is Sandy and she is filling in for her, but she has other responsibilities and doesn't have time to play assistant. She only assists me with scheduling and meetings, not irrelevant things like fetching me coffee,"I snapped. My mother and work were already stressful, but Wales brought it to a new level.

"Look I'm sorry, I knew you had some time in between meetings so I thought you could get me a coffee." I was meet with silence so I glanced up from my work to see that Wales had somehow snuck out of my office without me noticing. Great, if I wanted something I guess I have to get it myself.

I pulled my coat on and made my way down the building and into the streets. One thing I loved about the city was that it was booming with life. Whether it was day or night, people filled the sidewalk and cars drove the roads.

I made my way through the street, to the coffee shop that sat across from my building. I held open the door for a lady, she turn to thank me but stopped and started at me with a perplexed look on her face. Her short blonde hair and emerald green eyes seeming vaguely familiar.

"Koi," she questioned. I was a bit taken back, because although she look familiar I didn't know who she was.

"It Kayla from me NYU. I used to date one of you roommates Michael and I was always at y'alls apartment."

"Oh yeah I remember you, it feels like it been forever since college." I rubbed the back of my neck. I wasn't really a small talk guy. All I wanted to do was get my coffee and leave ,but I didn't want to seem rude.

We chatted for a little in front of the door before a lady shouted "Move out the fucking way." A random lady shoved past me and the Kayla into the coffee shop. We both laughed at her great decorum and walked into the coffee shop.

"So how have you been?," I questioned as we waited in line.

"Good, actually me and a couple of friends from college are going out to eat and drink tomorrow night. Do you want to join us?" I was trying to find a way to let her down easy, but I guess she could tell.

"Cmon Koi it will be just like old times. And Chris, Sam, and Lindsey will be there," she pleaded with me. Just as I was about to reject her invitation, my mother mother voice played back in my head. She was right I did need to go out.

"Yeah I'll go." Kayla face lit up. we exchanged numbers as I got my coffee and made my way back to my office.

I plopped down into my office chair and took a sip of my coffee. I checked my beeping to see that Kayla had texted me the details for the dinner. I couldn't help but smile a bit, I was kinda excited to got out