Chapter 1 - Prelude To The Moment
As DeMar shuffled uncomfortably in his cubicle, he contemplated the repercussions of his actions. He knew what he did, and he also knew he couldn’t reverse it. He looked at his aux state, hoping that a call would come in to wash away the thoughts that were weighing him down. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, still wondering if it was worth it. Before he could even exhale, he heard a familiar voice.
“What are you doing around here by yourself with so much availability, bestie?”
He opened his eyes to see none other than Nika smiling down quirkily at him.
“Oh, nothing, just uhh relaxing a bit. Y’all have your fun; I’ll be around there in a few.” He looked deep into her dark brown eyes as he tried to pass off his Chinese-made smile as genuine, hoping she would buy it.
“Hmph! Well, Meera and I are having a hot discussion that I know you’ll love.”
He struggled to conceal the blush that crept across his face when she mentioned the name that had dominated his thoughts. He tried to stay as composed as possible for the rest of the conversation, and when she finally turned to leave, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. He checked his auxiliary input again and sighed as his mind returned to the day he had been replaying over and over.
He thought back to yesterday.
DeMar had switched stations again, displacing Mr. Brown for the second day in a row. He was sure he could get away with it, too, not just because he was confident in his combat abilities if it ever came down to that, but because he also knew the girl in pretty much all his recent not-so-dry dreams wouldn’t mind him there. He was just as confident in his “art of seduction” as he would so fondly call it. But who was to blame him?
The station was formerly occupied by Mr. Brown, or Dennis, as he was more formally known. Standing at a solid six feet, with short hair and a muscular build, Dennis was the kind of person who seemed to occupy more space than he was allotted, a fact DeMar was all too aware of. With his dark skin, he had a calm demeanor that contrasted with DeMar’s more animated energy, making their quiet rivalry all the more intense.
At 21 years old, DeMar stood at 6′4 with skin like caramel, and unlike most young adults still battling with the effects of acne, he had a face that was almost blemish-free. He had light hazel-brown eyes, which could easily pull you in if he let you stare in them long enough, with pretty much perfect lips touched with the most subtle shade of pink to top things off, all this on top of a quite sturdy body.
As he made himself comfortable in his temporary station, he looked over at the girl who had been the target of his affection and sexual craving for some time now.
Meera looked over at him knowingly and chuckled, hiding her blush as she wasn’t quite used to all the fuss. He looked at her, not really caring about hiding his lust for her anymore. As he scanned her over, he knew why he liked her, but he could also possibly understand why she wasn’t used to all the fuss.
Meera stood at 5′5" with a well-proportioned figure. Her C-cup breasts remained firm on her chest; while she didn’t have a flat tummy, it was just right for her shape, complemented by a stunning backside. In simple terms, she embodied the definition of a “thick” girl. She wore her braids flowing down her face, showcasing her lovely, light brown complexion that glistened slightly in the sunlight. Her naturally pouty lips made her look even more kissable, and to top it all off, she wore a stylish pair of glasses that fit snugly on her face, partially concealing her striking brown eyes. While some might describe her as average, to him, she was the epitome of simplicity at its finest.
As he finished admiring her openly, he realized it was time to make his move. They had been communicating regularly, and he wasn’t going to wait any longer.
He gently brushed one of her braids back from her face.
“Meera...” He looked deep into her eyes and swallowed dryly, knowing what he was about to do.
“Yes, DeMar?” She peered back into his, obviously racing with some sort of anticipation.
“I... Well... I want you.” He finally said, still not breaking the stare.
She blushed hard and looked at her computer. “Let’s go available; it’s 8:00 AM.”
DeMar snapped back to reality.
“DeMar! You mean to tell me that you’re right at your station and did not hear your phone ringing?” As he shot up, he could see his supervisor looking at him, quite annoyed.
“Please quickly answer that phone, Sir, before I write you up for call avoidance.” She said quite sternly.
“Y...yes ma’am.” He stuttered.
He quickly picked up the phone before it rang out and answered, knowing his thoughts would have to wait. “You have reached FBA support, and I’ll be your specialist for today. How can I assist?”
DeMar wrapped up his unnecessarily long call with a client, an extension he had purposefully created to keep his thoughts at bay. He cleared his computer screen and looked down his aisle. None of the usual faces had arrived yet.
What am I thinking? Nobody really turns up for work on a public holiday!
He looked to his right and saw his supervisor glaring at him over her glasses. He immediately turned away and settled back down in his station. His mind inevitably veered back to the day of his long-planned divulgence and how awkward things had been after he made his intentions known.
He was transported back in time.
For most of the day, there was a deafening silence between them. Apart from the small talk made during group conversations, Meera hadn’t said a single word directly to DeMar after he told her how he felt. He now felt guilty and, admittedly, a bit perturbed, not just at himself but also at her for acting this way. Didn’t she want him? Why did she allow him to come on to her for so long? Finally, he broke the silence.
“Listen!” he exclaimed callously. “I don’t know what your deal is. I know that you knew that I wanted you even before I said it, and you can’t deny it, and yet, here you are...”
Before he could finish his rant, he was cut off by Nika.
“4:30 PM guys!” she exclaimed, obviously excited to be going home.
An exasperated DeMar rolled his eyes and turned to change his aux state to offline to ensure he wouldn’t get any more calls from the “spoilt clients,” as he would call them.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” He irately looked at his screen to see an inbound call. He knew he had to answer regardless of his shift coming to an end.
He tried wrapping up his call as quickly as possible so he could get out of work. After about ten minutes of speaking to the client, he finally said his closing spiel and noticed that both Nika and Meera had already left.
Guess it’s just me then.
He hummed a tune to himself as he gathered his belongings and headed toward the exit. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he spotted Nika sitting under a tree next to where he had parked. With each step closer, he found himself beginning to see her in a new light. He had never thought of Nika in a sexual way before, but that was changing.
