Good morning, everyone. It’s Tuesday, which means there should be a chapter of MBWP out tday, right?
Well, things have been a bit hectic over on this end, so unfortunately, chapter seven is probably going to some out later on this week instead of it’s regular Tuesday airing.
Sorry guys. I’m working hard to make things flow well.
See you soon!
G’day, everyone! It’s a bright, Tuesday afternoon, so you know what’s about to happen!
You guessed it! Another chapter of MBWP comes out today! WHOOOOOO! *throws party*
Yeah, I’m as excited as you are for this story to continue. So here it is, chapter six (already?) of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’!!!!
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“Why didn’t you call?” Ezekiel said to his girlfriend of almost three years. “I would have come to pick you up, London.”
The woman smiled, falling onto the couch. “I wanted to surprise you. But Leo ruined it for me, so…”
London Harcott was his ideal woman. She was beautiful, intelligent, driven—and totally devoted to Ezekiel. Even throughout her year in her native Australia, the couple had kept in contact through emails and phone calls.
“I didn’t ruin it,” Leo said from the kitchen. “You just never mentioned that it was supposed to be a surprise. I just assumed that you wanted me to call him.”
London’s bright smile showed no trace of annoyance that the surprise was out. “No matter. I’m just happy that I’m here. Aren’t you happy, Zeke?”
Ezekiel laughed. “Doesn’t it show on my face?”
Although it didn’t show as much as she wanted it to, London knew that her boyfriend was in fact, very happy to see her. Because she knew Ezekiel so well, knew that he wasn’t an expressive or emotional man. And that was fine, since he suited her so well.
“So what exactly are you doing here, London?” Leo queried, sitting on the couch adjacent to her. “It’s been almost a year since you’ve been in the states and now…surprise!”
She smiled. “You ruined the surprise, remember?”
“You know what I mean.”
London neatly folded one leg over the other. “I do, I do. Well, my uncle’s architectural firm in Melbourne was doing well without me, so I decided to come back to his US branch. Is that good enough for you?”
“No. Where do you plan on staying while you’re here?”
“I’m not going to stay here, if that’s what you’re thinking,” London smirked at his interrogation. “I still have an apartment.”
Leo loosened up upon hearing her response. “Well. If that’s the case, then welcome back, Londy.”
She sniffed. “I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t call me that.”
“That,” Leo got to his feet, already moving towards his bedroom, “Was before you went back to Australia.”
When he was gone, London shook her head. “It’s good to see that he hasn’t changed on bit,” she leaned back against the couch. “Is he still drawing comics?”
Ezekiel nodded his answer. “Yeah. He’s taking his art to another level, or so he says. A lot of people are interested in his stuff.”
Her scoffing made him pause. “It’s a shame. Honey, why didn’t you encourage him to pursue another…career? For someone who graduated from college magna cum laude with a degree in biology, drawing a comic strip for the local newspaper is way off course.”
“What can I say? It’s what he wants to do.”
Although his parents had protested their son not applying to medical to pursue a career in medicine, Leo didn’t care. In his words, the medical field was for ‘people who are all about structure’. And Leonardo Nam didn’t believe in structure. He just wanted to live doing what he loved, which was art.
“I suppose,” London breathed, turning her green eyes to her boyfriend. “I missed this face,” she touched his chiseled jaw and let her fingers fall to his lips.
He smiled at her affection and stood up. “Are you hungry? I’ll make you something to eat if you want.”
“It’s fine,” she replied. “I ate on the way here.” But Ezekiel was already at the fridge, trying to find her some food.
Just staring at his broad back like this was good enough for London. That year in Melbourne had been one of the hardest, simply because she couldn’t see the man she loved.
“London?”
She blinked back to reality to find her boyfriend staring at her with amusement in his dancing eyes. “Yeah?”
“I asked if you would mind spaghetti. I know you loved it before you left, but…”
“Of course. Even if you made cardboard on a bun, I’d love it,” she grinned openly at him.
Ezekiel looked as if he were actually pondering her suggestion, so London proceeded to throw the nearby newspaper at his feet.
“I was just thinking about it!” he laughed.
After a long day of wedding preparations, Jani was tuckered out. She had been dragged this way and that, and Tristan’s incessant chatter never failed to drain her energy.
“So, how’d it go?” Harolyn questioned on Facebook chat after Ajani changed her status.
“Horribly. Well, not really. But I’m burned-out now. I don’t think I wanna see another dress again after this.”
“LOL, girl! You trippin’. You won’t be saying that next month at the wedding, when you look all cute and jazzy.”
Ajani smirked at the computer screen. “Bwaha! Did you just say ‘jazzy’, Lyn? You = a hot flaming mess.”
“At least I’m hot…whatever.”
“Can I come in?” Faith’s voice sounded after a knock.
“Yes ma’am,” Ajani spun her chair around to face her. “What can I do for you?”
Faith took a seat on one of the couches in the bedroom. “I just came to see how you were. I thought you were going to collapse after we went to the Minellia’s.”
Jani laughed. “I thought so, too! Gahh, I don’t know how you do it. As if planning a wedding wasn’t stressful enough, you’re doing it with my mom and Tristan. That’s a migraine waiting to happen.”
“It’s actually not that bad,” Faith shrugged. “With Tristan and your mother on it, I just have to…well, show up. They have everything covered, so I’m not stressed out at all.”
“Lucky you,” Jani sighed.
Her sister in-law glanced towards her in concern. “Uh oh. Are you stressed out, Jani? Come here and tell me all about it.”
Ajani moved to sit down next to Faith. “It’s work, Faith. I mean, yeah, I love LEGIT and everything, but I haven’t actually been doing any real work. I went into the creative department to come up with ideas, to make things happen, not make coffee or take dry cleaning, you know?”
“Dry cleaning?” Faith repeated. “Girl, please! That would not be me.”
Ajani sighed. “It’s not me either, but I can’t do anything right now. So many people already think that I got this job just because of Daddy, and if I throw a fit or tell him, they won’t gain any respect for me.”
“Well, the only thing I can say to you is keep hope alive, baby girl. Just keep doing what you’re doing; they’ll see the real you someday.”
Ajani truly hoped that Faith was right. Otherwise, she might not work at LEGIT for long.
There was quiet in the room for about a minute before Faith began speaking again. “So, have you given any thought about your date to the wedding?”
“My what? Oh goodness, Faith. You too?”
The older woman gave Ajani a helpless look. “Me and Mom got to talking, Jani, and we think that it’s ridiculous that you don’t have a boyfriend right now. You’re twenty-three years old and have never gone on a proper date.”
Ajani paused. “My mom told you that? That I haven’t been on a proper date? I can’t believe this,” she turned away from Faith in her exasperation. “How would she know?”
“Well, have you?”
“Of course I have! When I was in college, there were guys lining up outside of my dorm room to go out with me,” she replied defensively.
Faith smiled smugly at Ajani and said, “But did you go out with any of them?”
When there was no answer, all that Faith could do was laugh. “Thought so. Jani, I don’t know why you’re doing yourself like this. You’re a beautiful, smart, funny, and well-mannered young woman. How is it possible that you’re still single?”
“It just is. I’m not looking to be in a relationship right now, Faith. They’re complicated and messy. And quite frankly, I don’t think I have the time to get into one.”
“I was simply suggesting a date—not a relationship,” Faith clarified. “And even though you think we’re hassling you, we’re hassling out of love. We don’t want you to become an old cat lady.”
Ajani grinned. “I don’t even like cats. Can I be a dog lady instead?” She ducked when Faith flung a pillow in her direction. “Okay, okay. I’ll do my best to snag a man while I’m still young and attractive, okay? So you and Mom won’t have to be on my case about it all the time.”
“That’s what we want for you, Jani,” Faith said, already making her way towards the door. “We just want you to be happy. Goodnight, girl.”
“Goodnight,” she called when the door was closed. “They’re nuts. They’re all nuts.”
Ajani sat down at her computer table again, still logged on to Facebook when she received a message from Tyler.
“Heard you got dragged on the wedding journey. My condolences to your feet.”
She grinned and replied, “And my feet thank you kindly, sir. How was your day?”
“It was chill. I was actually at your house while you guys were gone.”
“Ohh. That’s why it smelled weird…”
“Get out of here, Jani. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“Umm, excuse me. I’m 23 years old. Don’t play around,” Ajani laughed as she typed.
“Haha. Whatever, shorty. I’m gonna let you go to sleep, since I’ve know you’ve had a long day. Goodnight.”
“G’night,” she responded once more before logging off.
An hour or so away, Tyler was having a hard time falling asleep after talking to Ajani. Lately, she had been the last thing on his mind when he went to sleep and the first when he woke up.
Did he like her? Yeah, but who could he tell? Not his parents, because they would run to hers and start planning their future together. Not his sister, because she would tell Ajani right away. And definitely not Jalil. Jail would be pissed beyond belief, seeing as how he was so protective over his sister.
So what could he do? Tyler had no plans, really. He just wanted things to play out well. It seemed as though the Man up above was on his side, though, because the two were paired up for the wedding, Tyler as the best man and Jani as the maid of honor. Maybe things would just fall into place from there.
Maybe.
The word both thrilled and scared Tyler. But he had to keep going. He had to.
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Dun, dun, duuuuuun! Tyler likes Jani–EHH?! Haha!
See you guys next week. Same time (probably not), same places (definitely).
Nos vemos!
Chapter five has arrived! Yeah, I know you liked the rhymage. Hehehe.
Anywhos, I won’t dilly-dally like I usually do. Here it is, chapter five of MBWP!
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The days had flown by, and before Jani knew it, she found that she had been working at LEGIT Magazine for almost a month. And in that month, Ajani had spent more time at the office and less time with her friends.
“Guys, I know. It’s been busy!” she tried to explain. “And I know you’re feeling neglected.”
Cadence laughed. “No one said anything about feeling neglected, at least, I didn’t. Harolyn’s the one who told me to call you.”
Harolyn made a face at her roommate from the couch. “I did not…anyways, don’t try and act like you don’t miss her, Cady. Because I know you do.”
“Whatever,” the red-head rolled her eyes. “Do you have time today?”
Ajani bit her lip, not wanting to answer. “Actually, no…I don’t. Jalil, Faith, and Ghanima are coming into town today, and we need to go to a dress fitting and do some other wedding stuff,” she said hesitantly. “Sorry guys…”
“It’s okay, girl,” Harolyn called, combing a hand through her hair. “Let us know how it goes!”
“Yes ma’am! Talk to you guys later,” she said before hanging up the phone. Walking into the living room, Ajani was she saw her sister cuddled up with an unfamiliar young man. “Umm, Karima?” she questioned, causing the two young people to sit up abruptly. “Who’s that?”
Her sister grinned, standing to her feet and pulling the boy up with her. “This is Cooper,” Karima introduced him. “We were just watching TV.”
Ajani laughed. “There’s no TV in here, but okay. Cooper…nice to meet you.”
The young man nodded his head in silent greeting. “He doesn’t talk much,” Karima giggled, linking arms with her newest boyfriend. “How do we look?”
“Great. You guys are the couple to beat,” she smirked at her little sister.
“That hurts, Jani.”
The three of them turned to the doorway to see Ajani’s older brother, his fiancée, and their two-year-old daughter standing there. “What? You guys are early!” Ajani exclaimed, rushing over to greet her family.
“We wanted to surprise you,” Faith smiled down at Ajani. “So we caught the earliest flight down here.”
Her almost sister in-law Faith Adebayo stood at a tall 5”10 (very compatible with Jalil’s height of 6”2) with flawless skin, bright eyes, and a beautiful smile. With hair that was all natural since she was 17, Faith was the Nuru family’s ‘African Queen’, even though she was not an official Nuru.
“Faith!” Karima exclaimed excitedly, wrenching her arm from her boyfriend to say hi. After hugging the woman, Karima stood back. “Is it me or are you getting prettier?”
Jalil eyeballed his youngest sister. “Isn’t that something for a man to say to his woman? Why are you so comfortable?”
His fiancée elbowed him in the side with the arm that was not holding their child. “Shouldn’t she be comfortable? We’ll be sisters before long.”
In her mother’s hold, Ghanima wriggled about, and before long, she lifted her arms towards her aunt. “Aww, my cute Ghani,” Ajani cooed, cuddling her niece. “I guess she’s been itching to see me.”
“This girl? Don’t kid yourself, Jani,” Jalil scoffed, entering the living and sitting down on the couch. “She was clinging to her mom since we got on the plane to come home.”
“Was it necessary to say all that, Jay? Really?” Faith gave her fiancé a dirty look before sitting down next to him. “Anyways, where are your parents? It’s Saturday, so they’re not working, right?”
Karima shook her head. “Mom’s not working, but Daddy went on a business trip.”
“And who’s this kid?” Jalil jerked his hand towards Cooper, who stared at everyone through his thick-framed glasses. “He’s just been sitting there, not saying anything.”
“That kid is my boyfriend, Jalil,” Karima said to her brother. “You should be nicer to him.”
Jalil turned towards Ajani in bewilderment. “Another one? Weren’t you just dating some other guy? Riddlin? Rar Ray?”
“That was the last time you called,” she chuckled at his confusion. “Ryan is old news.”
“Guys! How can you talk about my old boyfriends when my new one is standing right here?!” Karima cried out, casting a glance at her boyfriend from across the room. “So insensitive!” She shot to her feet and grabbed Cooper’s hand, pulling him out of the room as fast as she could.
“Don’t run,” Neve Nuru said as she descended from the stairs. “At my age, I never thought I’d be saying that to my kids.” She paused in her steps when she saw her son and his fiancée seated in the living room. “You’re here already?”
“Hi Mom,” Jalil approached his mother with a wide smile, embracing her warmly. “It’s so good to see you.”
“What’s so good about it? I just want to see my daughter in-law and my grandchild,” she smiled, wriggling away from Jalil. “Hi honey.”
“Hi, Mom,” Faith welcomed her mother in-law happily.
Hearing the sound of her grandmother’s voice, Ghanima’s eyes grew wide. “Gram!” she called out loudly. “Gram!”
Mrs. Nuru beamed at the small girl in her daughter’s arms and hurried over to hold her. “And who is this pretty thing? Is this my Ghanima? You’re so big!”
Jalil watched his mother and his daughter with a smile. “Wow. Is this the way a son gets treated after coming home for the first time in months?”
“Who told you to come home after such a long time?” Neve spoke, still playing with her squealing grandchild.
“Mom, don’t we have to get going?” Ajani checked the clock on the wall for the time. “We have to go to the bridal shop.”
“That’s right, Mom,” Jalil said, reaching for his child. “Even though I know how much it kills you to be apart from your granddaughter, you have to get ready for the wedding.”
Neve sighed. “You’re right. We need to go now,” she replied hesitantly. “Take care of my granddaughter, Jalil. She’s the only one I have.”
Ajani eyed her mother warily. “Are you taking a shot at me, Mom?”
“Why? Is it working? Do you feel like going to a date now?”
“No,” Jani shrugged with a laugh. “Not really. But your effort is great.”
The three women exited the house after saying their goodbyes, entering the taxi that Neve had called earlier.
“We’re going to the dress shop first,” she said, pulling out a thick binder. “And then we need to go see the flower woman.”
“Mom, you brought the wedding book?” Ajani rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Seriously?”
Faith laughed. “It’s important, Jani. The entire details of my wedding are in that book, so bear with us.”
“How is it that the only people that understand me aren’t related to me by blood?” Mrs. Nuru smiled, patting her future daughter in-law’s shoulder fondly.
“Because you only do what you want,” Ajani chuckled. “When Faith and Jalil get married, who will you like more? Me or Faith?”
Neve stared at her daughter as if she’d asked the most obvious question in the world. “Faith, of course! What kind of question is that?”
“Mom!”
The three of them arrived in the small shopping district within an hour. “Faith, honey, take your time,” Neve addressed her daughter in law as they stepped out of the taxi. “If you have any issues with the fit of the dress, now is the time for you to say it. The wedding is only a couple of days away, so it’s okay if you want everything to be perfect.”
Ajani smirked at her mother. “Mom, the wedding is in over a month, and there are like two more dress fittings after this.”
“I’m just saying. If she wants to be a bridezilla, it’s okay with me.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Faith beamed at Neve. “Although I probably won’t need to. You and Tristan have taken care of everything since I got engaged.”
As if he’d heard his name being called, Tristan Sanchez appeared before the three women in a flash.
“Ladies, you’re a couple of minutes late,” the wedding planner said, clucking his tongue. “You know what I say: Time is progress!”
“Sorry, Tristan,” Ajani began. “But Mom was too busy playing with her granddaughter, so she forgot the mission.”
Tristan gasped, staring at Neve with wide eyes. “Neve! You’re supposed to be focused! I need you to get on your game, please!” he snapped his fingers in exasperation.
Ajani couldn’t help but laugh at the craziness. “You guys are acting like it’s your wedding and not Faith’s.”
“Every wedding I plan is my wedding,” Tristan winked saucily. “They all have a little bit of Tristan in every aspect.”
Ajani scoffed at his arrogance. “Don’t you think it’s too much?”
“Just let him have his moment,” Faith smiled, speaking in a hushed tone. “He’s one of the best in the country.”
“Exactly. And you should be nice, Jani,” Neve added, playfully nudging her daughter. “Tristan here is going to plan your entire wedding.”
Tristan paused mid-step and turned to Ajani in wonder. “You’re getting married? To who?” In a voice that he thought was a whisper, he added, “Who lost his mind and proposed to her?”
“I can hear everything you’re saying,” Ajani glowered at the wedding planner. “And no, I’m not getting married. Not yet at least.”
He let out a sigh of relief and straightened, that Cheshire grin returning to his pretty face. “That’s good. You had me for a second.”
“I wouldn’t want you to plan my wedding anyway. I would like someone sane to be in charge of that, thank you very much,” Jani countered.
Ignoring her retort, Tristan turned to Faith and Neve. “We have to head to the flower shop first. Cora is in the middle of a rush, so I told her that we’d see the dress later on today. After all, her attention needs to be on the bride solely.”
Tristan led them to the flower shop, where Ajani’s senses were immediately assaulted by the scent of flowers. Dozens upon dozens of flowers.
“It smells so pretty in here,” Faith murmured, reaching for a nearby vase of roses. “Why didn’t we talk about flowers earlier?”
Behind the counter, a slender red head stood, talking with one of her employees. “So whenever they ask to see flowers, you take them to the back. But they can’t be there alone.”
“That’s the owner of this store, Helen Bayo,” Tristan told the women. “Helen, we’re here!”
Smiling, Helen made her way towards them. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” she welcomed her customers after receiving a hug from Tristan. “I’m Helen. And you…” Helen turned to Faith. “…you must be the bride.”
Faith blinked at her. “How did you know?”
“You have that wedding glow about you,” she responded cordially. “I knew the air changed a bit when you walked through the door.”
Tristan jerked his thumb towards the storeowner. “And this is why I’m trusting her with the flower arrangements. She’s so perceptive!”
The laughter between the five people was put to a stop when a man’s voice was heard. “Mom, where did you say you wanted Alvin to plant the purple roses?”
To everyone’s surprise, a tall and broad-shouldered young man stood in the small shop, waiting expectantly for his mother’s response.
“You!” Ajani burst out, fixing her eyes on those of the man from her office. “What are you doing here?”
Helen blinked at her son. “You two know each other?” she said to Ezekiel, who hardly seemed shocked.
“Not really,” Zeke spoke in a bored voice. “Where did you say you wanted these?”
“Not really?”
What did he mean, not really? They may not have gotten off to a good start, but how could he say that they were strangers?!
Once his mother gave him directions, Ezekiel made his way towards the back of the store, followed by Ajani.
“Hey,” she called to him. “Why did you say that we didn’t know each other?”
“You’re not allowed to be back here,” he murmured, crouching over to inspect a row of flowers.
Ajani frowned. “You didn’t answer the question. Even though we had a strange encounter the first time we met, you still could’ve been friendlier to me.”
Ezekiel turned to her with a disapproving glare. “How long are you going to do this?”
“Do what?”
“Have a conversation with someone who has no interest in talking to you.”
“Your words sound the same as they did that day in the cafeteria,” Ajani mused. “By the way, I never got an apology for that.”
“Why would I apologize? I didn’t do anything wrong”
She nodded. “You wouldn’t apologize, would you? That’s not good. People won’t want to be around you if you’re too stubborn.”
“You don’t have to be here.”
“Everyone gave me weird looks because of you. As if it wasn’t bad enough that I’m their boss’s daughter…” she trailed off, looking down at her feet.
Ezekiel gave her the up and down, trying to figure out why her tone had suddenly changed. “What’s happening here? Are you trying to get pity from me or something? Because I don’t do that.”
Ajani’s head snapped up at his words, her face now displaying a different emotion than just ten seconds ago. “Would a guy like you even know how to pity someone?” she spat, scowling at him.
“Oh, so it was empathy you wanted?” he murmured. “You should’ve said that before. I don’t do that either”
Ajani’s brown eyes narrowed in irritation. “I didn’t ask you for anything! Why would I ask someone without a heart for empathy?!”
“I don’t have a heart?” Ezekiel lifted his brows at her sharpness. “You deducted that in the two conversations you’ve had with yourself with me standing here?”
“You!” she near-shouted again, this time pointing at him with a shaking finger. “Why do you keep doing this?!”
Ezekiel stood. “Why are you yelling? This is a public place, and I’m sure people can hear you.”
Ajani cleared her throat, trying to keep her cool. “You’re annoying,” she said finally.
“And you have a bad habit of provoking innocent people, but I wasn’t saying anything.”
“Ajani!” the two heard her mother call from outside. “We’re leaving now!”
She sighed. “I was going to say that it was nice seeing you, but that would be a lie.”
“Aren’t you leaving?” Ezekiel shook his head. “Just go. My blood pressure’s gone up because I’ve talked to you.”
“And mine hasn’t?” she scoffed, opening the door to enter the main store again. “Goodbye, jerk.”
Watching Ajani storm out of his mom’s shop, Ezekiel couldn’t believe that there were actually people like her. He had never met someone as unreasonable and illogical as she.
“Can you get the phone, Zeke?” his mother called from the front of the store. “My hands are tied up right now.”
“Got it,” Zeke replied, picking up the phone nearest to him. “Hello?”
“Hey, you,” a silky voice purred into his ear. “Missed me any?”
Upon hearing the slight accent, Ezekiel stiffened almost instantly. “London?”
“That’s right, Zeke. I’m back.”
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WHAAA?! London’s back?! As if I didn’t know. Hehehe. Stay tuned for chapter six, coming to a computer screen near you!
Nos vemos!
It’s that time again, people! Yes, that’s right! Chapter four of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’ is here! I know, I know. You’re excited, right?
So am I. And extremely proud of myself for going this far with this story. It’s turn out well, if I may say so myself. Hehehe.
So I now present to you, chapter four of MBWP!
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“Do I know you from somewhere?”
The question hung in the air for quite some time, but Ezekiel found that he couldn’t answer. Luckily, Ajani’s father spoke for him. “He’s part of the new staff in accounting,” Peter said in a firm and believable voice, taking away all doubt from his daughter’s mind. “Maybe you’ve seen him around the office.”
“Really?” she bit her lip before smiling. “That’s probably right, Daddy.” Lifting her hand to wave, Ajani opened the door and made her way back to the waiting room.
Ezekiel had several questions, but his boss’s words seemed final enough. “If there’s not anything else…”
“Right. You can get back to work now, Ezekiel.”
Once outside of his boss’s office, Ezekiel found himself wondering about Ajani Nuru’s nature. To believe her father’s one statement…was it really that easy to do? He wouldn’t know, since he had only grown up with a
soft-spoken mother with nothing similar to a temper. Instead of delving into the familiar feeling of self-pity about growing up with a single parent, Ezekiel decided to chalk it up to naiveté. Since the chief’s daughter had grown up so sheltered, it was likely that she would trust everything that was said to her.
“I’m sure I’ve seen him before,” Jani murmured to herself in the elevator, not even noticing that another person was now occupying the space.
“Who haven’t you seen before?” the voice belonged to Gerard Winston, the vice-editor and Ajani’s godfather. “You’re talking out loud, so I can hear everything you’re saying. So I’m not eavesdropping or anything.”
Ajani turned to look up into Gerard’s smiling eyes. “That was when you were supposed to say ‘a penny for your thoughts?’ Uncle Gerry.”
The older man laughed heartily. “But I suppose it’s too late now. Who were you talking about?”
“Just someone.” And he was just someone. At least, that’s what Daddy said. And if Daddy said it, Ajani had to believe it.
Gerard could only grin at his goddaughter’s antics. Although he was not a family man with a wife and kids, Gerard always imagined that if he did reproduce, he would have a daughter like Ajani. Smart, funny, and loyal.
“Aren’t you getting off here?” Ajani gestured towards the open doors. “This is the executive floor.”
“Oh yes,” Gerard stepped out, turning back to the young woman before the doors closed. “You didn’t tell me about your first day.”
“If you come to dinner, you might hear about it!” she called, waving.
Reaching her empty cubicle, Ajani looked around. Although she’d only been here for a couple of days, it seemed to her as though people at this magazine were always running about, trying to make some kind of deadline. Everyone was always doing something important.
“Hey,” someone’s greeting interrupted her observations. “Maybe you didn’t know, but it’s your turn to fix the printer.”
A tallish black man stood before Ajani, neatly dressed in a blue and gray ensemble. His eyes seemed clear, and his smile was friendly, so Ajani returned his kind look. “Ajani?” he spoke again, this time pausing for her response.
“I did it yesterday,” she replied with a shrug. “You do it.”
“Well, I know.” Darrell plopped down into his chair in the cubicle to the right of her and smiled. “But I wanna get something to eat before lunchtime. I’m starved.”
“So are you going to do it or what? Being the chief’s daughter isn’t a free pass, you know,” Darrell winked, turning back to the computer in front of him.
The sound of rapid typing caused the both of them to stop in the middle of their conversation to see yet another woman from the conference room typing away.
“Are you trying to beat a record or something?” Darrell tossed jokingly.
But the woman’s head snapped up, and she stared their way with the widest blue eyes Ajani had ever seen.
“I’m blogging,” she answered, breaking into a grin. “About my first week of work. The people, the building, the fashion.”
Ajani couldn’t hold back her laughter. “You’re blogging on company time?”
The woman froze mid-type to fix her eyes on Ajani. “Why? C-Can I not do that?” she near-whispered.
“Careful. This is our boss’s daughter. If she wants, she could have you fired,” Darrell teased, earning a look from Jani.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Jani said quickly. “Honest.”
Nodding, the petite woman beamed up at her coworkers. “Since you just said that, let me log onto Twitter really quick…I need to check out Robin Thicke’s status…”
“Robin Thicke?” Ajani echoed in surprise. “You’re following him?”
“Of course. I’m like in love with him,” Mikayla giggled, turning back to her blog.
If everyone was as personable as these two newbies, then Ajani was going to have a blast at LEGIT Magazine.
“Hey, can someone get the noobs to go on a coffee run? I’m in the mood for a latte!” a voice called out. The three young people looked at each other.
The work had finally begun.
Hours later at lunchtime, Ajani was starved. She hadn’t stopped running errands since the day’s conference had ended.
“Is it me, or is the room spinning?” Mikayla said, stumbling as she walked into the building’s cafeteria.
“It’s not just you,” Darrell rubbed his stomach with a frown. “It’s spinning in my eyes, too.”
The newbies had been worked to the bone, running this way and that to do things that weren’t exactly in the job description.
Darrell sniffed the air. “Wow. I’m going crazy smelling all this food!”
“You think you’re going crazy?” Mikayla retorted with a huff. “Someone tried to ask me to unclog a toilet in the restroom—the men’s restroom!”
“For the first time in my life, I had to buy tampons. Me, a twenty-seven year old man, holding a box of tampons in my hands!” Darrell shook his head. “Imagine the embarrassment! The shame!”
“And it’s only just beginning,” Mikayla sighed.
Ajani said nothing, simply smiling to herself. The workload was a lot, sure, but she was getting paid, and soon, she would be doing what she wanted to do at the magazine.
“Maybe she’s so hungry that she’s gone crazy,” Darrell mused, watching the look of content on Ajani’s face.
“I’m not!” she exclaimed, nudging Darrell’s arm. “But I am hungry. Move up.”
“Hey, isn’t that the other newbie? What’s his name? Cale, Cam, Carl?”
“Carlton,” Ajani confirmed. “He said his name was Carlton. Are we going to sit with him?”
Darrell eyed the loner. “I don’t know. He looks pretty comfortable on his own.”
“You guys will sit with him, right?” she pressured her co-workers with pleading eyes. “Right?
“As long as we get to eat, whatever,” Darrell shrugged, reaching for a plate of hamburgers. “I wouldn’t care if we had to eat with a telemarketer as long as long as we’re eating something.”
After getting their food, the trio moved towards the table where the lonesome Carlton was seated. “Hi,”Ajani smiled down at him, “Can we eat here?”
His reply came in the form of a series of blinks, so his fellow newbies took it as a yes.
“So…we don’t see you around much, man,” Darrell said after taking a large bite out of his sandwich. “Where do you go?”
“What do you mean, where does he go?” Ajani hushed the talkative man. “He’s working, of course.”
“I never said he wasn’t working,” Darrell retorted, watching as Carlton squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.
“Are we making you uncomfortable?” Mikayla questioned suddenly. “Because you look like a fish out of water.”
Carlton pushed his hair into his eyes, perhaps in an attempt to hide his skittish expression. “N-No, I’m not uncomfortable,” he stuttered after a moment’s silence.
Mikayla giggled, and Darrell just smirked. “You coulda fooled me…”
Shaking her head, Ajani continued eating her lunch quietly until someone caught her eye. “Excuse me for a second,” she said as she stood to her feet.
At a nearby table sat the man from her father’s office on the first day of work, the man that seemed so familiar to her.
“Good morning!” she greeted him with a wide grin. “Oh, no. I mean, good afternoon!”
Ezekiel simply looked back at her. “Do you need something?”
Ajani took a seat across the table. “No, not really. I just wanted to come and say hi. We’re coworkers, but we’ve never spoken. It’s sad.”
“We’ve only been working here for four days.”
Ouch. Why were his words so sharp? She blinked at him before continuing. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
Ezekiel laid his fork and knife on the table to stare at this woman. Because she was the president’s daughter, it was okay for her to irritate people? “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not really interested. So please, if you don’t mind…” he motioned for her to leave.
But she didn’t leave. Instead, Ajani sat in her chair, staring at Ezekiel as if he’d suddenly grown another ear on his face.
“What?” Ezekiel frowned.
“Have you always been so crabby?” Ajani questioned, leaning in closely to Ezekiel’s face.
“Begging your pardon?”
She shook her head and stood. “I didn’t know that there were still people so bad-mannered in this world. It’s a shame, really.”
Ezekiel sat up in his seat. “Excuse me? Bad-mannered?” he repeated, not quite believing the words himself. “As I remember it, you were the one who invited yourself to sit at this table and start an unwanted conversation with me. That’s being bad-mannered, Miss Nuru.”
Without giving her another look, the irritated Ezekiel picked up his plate of uneaten food and walked off in the direction of the exit.
Ajani stood and watched the man walk away, soon approached by Darrell and Mikayla. “Is that guy crazy?!” Mikayla exclaimed, perching her hands on her hips. “To his boss’s daughter!!”
“I didn’t even get to say anything witty in retort!” Ajani protested openly.
Later on in the day, Ajani sat in her cubicle, feeling embarrassed since many of her co-workers walked by her whispering and giving her looks. Just because of that jerk.
“That’s gotta be a record, making an enemy in the first week of work,” Demetri’s smooth voice interrupted her mind’s tirade. “Never in my time at this office have I ever heard about anything like this.”
Ajani frowned up at him. “Are you trying to comfort me or make me feel worse? Because I think you’re doing the latter best.”
“Sorry,” his grin made her heart speed up. “But really, this is funny. Who is that guy?
“Like I know,” she muttered. “All I know is that he’s a rude monster. Didn’t my dad screen his future employees for manners? How could he hire someone like that?”
“Maybe he’s good at his job,” Demetri shrugged. “You don’t know his story.” He eyed her from where he stood. “Are you that mad?”
Straightening, Ajani shook her head. “No. Not anymore. That was hours ago; how can I still be mad?”
“Is it because of me that you’re trying to suppress your anger? Ahh, ‘m touched, Ajani. Truly touched.”
She laughed, running a hand through her hair. “Aren’t you a bit too full of yourself?”
“Maybe…but not for no reason,” the good-looking man replied confidently. “The way you keep smiling at me gives me good reason to come onto you.”
Ajani could say nothing in response. He was gorgeous and funny, so why shouldn’t she smile at him? “So you admit you’re coming onto me?” she said finally. “That’s not very professional.”
“Baby Nuru’s right,” another voice interjected coldly, causing the both of them to look up. “It’s not very professional. But I’m sure Demetri already knows that, right?”
Demetri shot Francesca a slightly less friendly smile. “Do you normally interject your opinions into other people’s conversations, Fran?”
She tapped her chin in thought. “Come to think of it, yes. I’m surprised that you’re even asking, Demetri, since you should know my habits well.”
Since the conversation had suddenly taken a very uncomfortable and awkward turn for the worse, Ajani cleared her throat. “Umm…I’ll see you tomorrow, Demetri. Francesca…goodnight.” She stood to her feet and quickly grabbed her bag, heading for the elevator doors as fast as possible.
“You said you weren’t going to get jealous,” Demetri murmured, casting his green-eyed gaze towards Francesca. “But why do you look like you’re out to kill?”
“Out of everyone in the building, her? Is it because she’s the chief’s daughter that you’re being like this?” Francesca frowned.
Demetri chuckled and wrapped his long arms around Francesca’s small waist, kissing her full on the lips. “I’m like this with all the pretty girls, Fran.”
She scowled, wiggling out of his grasp. “Don’t think that I’m going to let this go. That girl, she only got the job because of her father. Nepotism is still alive and well, and I’m not going to let her rest until—”
“Until what?” he interrupted. “Until she quits? You want her to quit because you think she got an unfair advantage?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just going to make her squirm a bit,” the corners of Francine’s mouth turned up in something similar to a smile. “Just a bit.”
“Whatever you say,” Demetri pecked her red lips again. “I’m leaving.”
While Francesca acted out of jealousy, Demetri had other plans. He was going to milk the situation for as long as possible as much as possible. And it didn’t hurt that Ajani was cute, either.
………………………………………………………………………………….
Whew! I got in out in time! Hehehe. Stay tuned for chapter five next week!
Nos vemos!
Chapter three is here!
So, I’m trying to think of a set day of the week to pop these babies out, but since I don’t know what my schedule is going to be for awhile, I’ll just say Tuesday.
**ATTENTION READERS**
All chapters of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’ (MBWP) will be posted on Tuesdays! Not Mondays, not Fridays, but Tuesdays!
So here it is, chapter three!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“First day, first day!”
At eight in the morning, the feeling of her mattress moving woke Ajani up from her slumber. “Get up, it’s your first day!”
Jani lifted herself from under the covers. “You guys are so annoying,” she muttered. “Did you think that I didn’t realize it? That’s why I set my alarm to wake me up at six.”
“Then why are you just now waking up?” Kweli smirked at his sister’s bed hair. “It’s been almost two hours.”
“It went off at six, but I set it on snooze,” Jani rubbed her eyes sleepily, shuffling out of her bedroom and towards the bathroom she shared with her sister.
“Well, Daddy’s already gone,” Karima piped up, still bouncing on the bed.
“What?!” Jani exclaimed. “We were supposed to go together!”
Kweli laughed. “And that would entail you waking up earlier than eight. Besides, how professional would it be for you to show up at work with your daddy on your first day?”
“Mmm…” she nodded, fixing her hair in the mirror. “Now, you guys scram. I need to get ready for work.”
“So, how does it feel to be part of the work force?” Leo questioned from the floor as Ezekiel got dressed in his bedroom. “Are you excited? Nervous? Confident? All of the above?”
“Why don’t you stop?” Zeke smiled, adjusting his shirt collar. “But I’m ready. I worked hard to get here.”
Leo nodded in agreement, standing to his feet. “I know it. All the years wasted—I mean, spent on studying and trying to get to the top of the class. The all-nighters you pulled, the coffee stops to stay awake.”
“You remember all that?” Zeke looked at his roommate incredulously.
“Of course I do. You kept me up all the time!”
Smirking, Zeke smoothed the wrinkles on his shirt. “Liar. You were too busy playing videogames to even notice,” he winked. “I’m off.”
Leo watched as his best friend ambled out of the apartment they shared. “That guy…he better do well.” With that, Leo whistled and made his way to the refrigerator.
Although LEGIT’s building was extremely impressive, even more impressive were the people entering and exiting the premises. To someone viewing the scene for he first time, it appeared that everyone who worked for the company was well dressed in rich threads and name brands.
Ajani looked down at her own outfit and was glad that she was a good dresser. Yesterday’s shopping trip with her mother had helped, as well. Taking a deep breath, Jani stepped into the building to begin her career as one of the staff at her father’s magazine.
The conference room was filled with people, some standing, others seated in the chairs surrounding a long table. Jani could already see who the newly-hired employees were, because like her, their eyes will filled with a happy nervousness at their first day at the office. Those that had been working at the company longer were chatting amongst themselves, ignoring the newbies.
“Mr. Nuru,” the address made everyone straighten, ending conversations and creating a stillness in the air. Peter Nuru, the editor-in-chief, and his second in command Gerard Winston, entered the room and made their way towards the front the room, and numerous eyes followed their movement.
“Good morning,” Peter began, breaking into a wide smile that was rewarded with a chorus of “good morning, Mr. Nuru!” from his employees. “I see old faces and a couple of new ones. To the newest additions to our staff, welcome.” Applause soon followed his words.
“For the rest of today, you all should be busy working on the July issue,” Mr. Winston took over. “And our new staff will be going around and watching you all, just to get a feel of what it’s like.” He turned to the shaking young people standing in the corner of the already crowded room. “The second floor is supposed to be the best in this entire building, after the executive floor of course. I’m expecting good things from you all.”
Without another word, the executives left the room, leaving the newbies in the grasp of the unforgiving stares of their superiors. “Straight line across the front,” a woman with stylish black hair said abruptly, snapping the new employees out of their daze. “Today?”
Including Ajani, the five young people made their way to the front, lining up clumsily. “Names,” she spoke again, not even bothering to look them in the eye. Beside her, a gangly male with red hair smirked. “They seem scared, Fran. Talk a little more gently.” Francesca rolled her eyes. “Hush, Wade. This is custom. Names?” she repeated.
The first one to line up, a bright-eyed chubby man, stepped forward. “I’m Carlton Woodworth. I went to Colombia University. I’m twenty-six years old, and I’m really excited about working here! It’s always been my dream to—”
Francesca’s manicured index finger made him take a breath. “I didn’t ask for your life story. Next.”
And so it continued. The three people standing beside Ajani relayed their information to Francesca and their other coworkers with differing expressions until finally, it was her turn. Clearing her throat, Jani shot everyone a smile, just so they would know that she was approachable.
“We know who you are already,” a cool voice interrupted Ajani before she could speak. “You’re the president’s daughter.”
Jani blinked, trying to imagine who was talking and how they knew that she was the president’s daughter. “Yes, but—”
“But what? We already know your deal, so you don’t have to say anything else.” The owner of the voice stood up in the back of the room, and Jani held in her gasp when she saw whom the words had come from. A tall blond, long and lean with green eyes that danced with mischief, made eye contact with her from where he stood.
Francesca, who seemed a bit irked by the mystery man’s words, shrugged. “Whatever,” she said, yawning in boredom as got on her feet. “Wade, give the babies a tour, ‘kay?” She sauntered out of the conference room, followed by most of the other employees. That left Wade, the newbies, and the green-eyed god alone in the room.
Wade rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I’m s’posed to be giving you guys a tour right now, but I’ve got a buttload of work to do for these Merrimack people, along with my other issues…” he trailed off, turning hopeful brown eyes to the blond. “If you wouldn’t mind, Demetri…”
“Sure,” the man called Demetri smiled, making Ajani’s heart flutter at the sight. “I’ll take care of these guys. Go do your work before you get fired.”
After Wade ran for the exit, Demetri turned to the four young people who stared back at him curiously. “You guys look like it’s your first day of high school,” he laughed, a deep chuckle that almost immediately eased any tension left in the room. “Relax. Take a seat.”
Everyone was seated in the nearby chairs, turning expectant eyes to Demetri. He was even more spectacular to look at when he was closer. A chiseled face, long blond hair that seemed to move effortlessly, clad in fitted clothes that showed off his fit physique.
The sound of Demetri’s smooth voice brought Jani back to reality. “As you can already tell, the creative department is a pretty interesting floor with pretty interesting people. We’ve been deemed the best, so it’s gone to our heads a bit, hence the snobby attitude you saw earlier,” he paused to run a hand through his hair.
“Anyway, there are two easy tips to survival on the second floor. One, always dress well. In this industry, appearance is everything, so we take that to heart. If you’re not looking your best today, then go shopping as soon as you get off work.” Demetri glanced in the direction of the chubby guy who’d introduced himself as Carlton earlier. “Just a suggestion.”
Carlton’s cheeks reddened, and he nodded in unspoken understanding.
“And the second tip is…” the guy to Jani’s left questioned eagerly.
“Always watch your back,” Demetri finished.
He frowned. “What? What do you mean ‘watch your back’? Is there like, some kind of killer around here?”
“No,” Demetri laughed again, a twinkle appearing in his green eyes. “There’s no killer. You just need to be on your guard. Not everyone in this industry is as friendly as you’d like.”
Ajani knew exactly what he meant. She’d seen The Devil Wears Prada and watched Ugly Betty. The magazine industry was a dog eat dog affair, and Jani wasn’t ready to be eaten by anyone. She had since decided to get close with people who looked trusty-worthy and reliable to make it in this world.
Demetri drummed his fingers on his knees and looked around. “That’s all for now, I guess. You guys can get going. Good luck!” he called as the newbies stood and exited the room.
Ajani had almost reached the door when Demetri’s voice made her freeze in her tracks. “Hold on for a second….” She turned slowly to see him beaming from where he had been standing earlier. “Or are you in a hurry to get to work?
“Not necessarily,” Jani replied with a giggle. “I don’t even know what ‘work’ I’m supposed to be doing right now. I’m a newbie, remember?”
“You’re right. The only thing you’re probably going to be doing for the next few weeks or so is running errands.”
“What?” Jani repeated, the smile falling from her lips. “Errands? Why would I run errands? I’m a college-educated young woman with a business degree, and…you were just kidding, weren’t you?”
His resonating laughter answered the question, and Ajani just shook her head in mirth. “I guess I should’ve seen this coming, tricking the new staff. It’s probably tradition.”
“Maybe for the rest of those guys it’s tradition,” Demetri gestured towards the door, “But I only haze the prettiest girls at the magazine. I’m just picky like that.”
Looking towards Demetri’s face, Ajani decided to take the compliment, though she suspected that he’d used it many times on many other girls. “Okay,” she laughed. “Thanks?”
Demetri eyed her curiously. “Is that a question or a statement, Miss Nuru?”
“A mixture of both, Mr…I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“That’s because I never gave it,” he tossed before leaving Ajani alone in the conference room. “Just call me Demetri. Everyone else does.”
“Bye, Demetri.”
The words left her lips almost an entire minute after he had taken his leave. “Bye…”
Even as he sat in the waiting room of the executive floor of LEGIT Magazine, Ezekiel felt nervous. Why was he the only person from his team who had been called to see the chief?
“The chief will see you now,” the secretary said to her computer.
Ezekiel frowned. “Pardon?” Who was she talking to? Him, the other guy waiting to see the boss, or her computer?
Finally, the woman’s head snapped up. “The chief will see you now,” she repeated, this time with an edge in her voice. “Go in.”
Zeke hesitantly left the comfort of the couch he sat on and walked into his boss’s office. Inside the room, a man dressed in a sharp suit sat at a desk, as if he had all day. But Zeke knew that it wasn’t true; how could the editor of such an important magazine be without anything to do?
Peter Nuru stood to his feet to welcome the young man. “Mr. Bayo?” he questioned, though he already knew it was he. “Have a seat.” Peter gestured towards a nearby set of chairs.
“Please, sir, Ezekiel,” Zeke replied, taking a seat and waiting for his boss to be seated as well.
“Okay,” Peter chuckled, sitting down. “Ezekiel.”
“You’re probably wondering why you’ve been called up to the boss’s office on the first day, right?” Ezekiel’s nod confirmed his thoughts, so Peter continued. “It’s nothing bad. I just wanted to go over some things with you. You’re not getting fired before you actually get to work.”
At Mr. Nuru’s words, Ezekiel relaxed visibly, although he was still wondering what they had to talk about. Go over some things? What did that mean?
“Were you at the Livingston Family Clinic this weekend, Ezekiel?” Peter murmured, breaking his employee’s train of thought.
Ezekiel’s head snapped up, and he stared at the older man in confusion. “Yes I was, but how…?”
“How did I know?” Peter finished the sentence. “I was there, too. You see, my daughter had an allergic reaction at a party that she went to Saturday night, and luckily, a certain young man was there to take her to the hospital. I never met the kind person, but I got his name from the front desk.”
Zeke blinked, slumping back in his seat at the weight of the news. “So the girl I took to the clinic…she’s your daughter?”
“That’s right, Ezekiel. You took my daughter to the hospital and saved her life,” Peter beamed. “I know. It’s a lot to take in. I hope you’re not expecting a big bonus or anything.”
“N-No sir!” Zeke straightened in the chair. “Nothing of the sort.”
At that very moment, the door to the editor’s office was opened, and a very excited-looking Ajani appeared. “Daddy, guess what!” she exclaimed, not even seeing Ezekiel sitting next to her father.
“Ajani, I’m in the middle of a meeting,” her father murmured, his brow furrowing.
Her eyes turned to the man who looked at her with frown on his face. “Oh…I’m sorry, Mr. Nuru,” Jani regained her composure. “I’ll just wait outside until you’re finished.”
But as she headed for the door, Jani couldn’t shake the feeling that she had seen that man before, with his sleepy aqua eyes. She just couldn’t remember where from. “Excuse me,” Ajani spun around on the balls of her feet to face the two men again, directing her gaze at Ezekiel. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
………………………………………………………………………………
Hehehe. Sorry to leave y’all hanging, but I know you love it..secretly. Very secretly. 
Nos vemos!
It’s that time again, everyone! ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’ has been updated once again, with chapter two!
**JUST SO YOU KNOW**
I probably won’t be updating like this from now on. Two chapters in one week–RIDICULOUS! I’ll keep it to a max of a chapter a week, just to be sane. Nomsayin? Hehehe.
Anyways, here it is. Chapter two of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’. (I might shorten it to MBWP, because typing out the ENTIRE name is a bit much…heehee!)
An hour later, the men were in front of a strange-looking warehouse with a long line of people outside of it, apparently waiting to get in. “This is the place?” Zeke said incredulously. “It looks…”
“I know, but just trust me and don’t say anything,” Leo laughed, walking up to the entrance. “Nam, Leopold,” he spoke to the bouncer at the door with an air of false cool.
The man eyed him before taking a look at the list he had.
“You’re not on it,” the big man shrugged finally, looking down at Leo. “To the back, please.”
Leo’s eyes widened, and he stepped closer so that he could see the list. “What? For real? How can I not be on the list? I totally tutored that kid!”
Rumbling laughter sounded, and when Leo and Zeke glanced back at the bouncer’s face, he was chuckling. “Just messin’ with ya. Go on in.”
With visible sighs of relief, Leo and Ezekiel entered the warehouse.
The inside wasn’t much better looking than the outside, Zeke mused with a smile. But at least everyone seemed to be having fun.
“Nam the man!” a voice shattered his train of thought, and Leo and Zeke turned to see a skinny blond guy traipsing towards them. “’Sup, boy?”
“Smithies! Nice party,” Leo half-shouted over the loud music. “This is Zeke.”
Zeke lifted a hand in greeting, and Smithies nodded his way. “Sweet. You guys have fun. I see a beer with my name on it,” he winked, already moving towards the unsuspecting bar.
“He was always a douche,” Leo shook his head. “But he throws the best parties.” He nudged Zeke along. “Once, Smithies threw a party that everybody on campus went to.”
His best friend threw him a look. “So what?”
“Everybody,” Leo emphasized. “As in, even the professors and our school’s dean.” He paused in thought, tapping his chin. “Now that I think about it, actually, not everyone went. You weren’t there.”
Zeke shrugged. “I must have been studying. It was just a party, anyway.” That was Zeke. In college, he didn’t go out much other than to study groups. Parties were really not his scenes, seeing as he was a pretty reserved person. Zeke always felt uncomfortable around large groups of drunken people swaying to loud music. Just like now.
As Leo chatted with an old classmate of his, Zeke found his eyes wandering around the room. They landed on a group of young women in enthusiastic conversation. He wondered to himself just what they were talking about before turning away to take in other aspects of the party.
“So does this means you’re not going to the salon with me anymore?” Harolyn frowned at her friend. “Because you know we always go during the week…”
Ajani laughed. “Girl, please. I need to get my hair done before I start work. I have to look corporate and all.”
“Corporate?” their other friend, Cadence, snorted, running a hand through a short hair. “Not going to happen. Do you even know what ‘corporate’ looks like, Jani?”
“No,” Jani ducked her with a smile. “But whatever. At least I’ll be getting a paycheck.”
“Aww,” both Cadence and Harolyn cooed. “Welcome to the big girl’s club, finally! Now we don’t have to pay for you anymore, since you can pitch in, right?”
“We’ll see,” Jani wiggled her brows teasingly at her best friends.
The party kept going, with dancing and drinking, as had been expected. But suddenly, the music stopped as Smithies made his way to the front. “Supp, everybody?” he asked, receiving a series of loud cheers and applause. “I guess that means you’re all having fun. But right now, I want to pause the fun and take some time for a little bit of seriousness. Veronica, will you please come up here with me?”
Veronica, Smithies’ girlfriend of three years made her way beside her man and stood next to him, wondering what was going on.
“Veronica and I, as everyone knows, have been dating not-so-steadily,” Smithies paused for the laughter, “For the past couple of years. And we’ve had our ups and downs and our times when we didn’t know whether we would make it to our next anniversary. But right now, in front of you all, I would just like to tell my Ronnie how much I love her.”
Turning to his girlfriend, Smithies got down on one knee. “Veronica Danielle Gotti, I love you with all of my heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of being my life partner, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till—”
The rest of Smithies’ words were mumbled when Veronica jumped into his arms, eyes filled with tears. “I guess that’s a yes,” Smithies laughed, still holding his fiancée. “We’re getting married, folks!”
His friends clapped loudly, whooping and cheering in excitement for the two lovers.
“I kinda feel sorry for the girl,” Leo clicked his tongue. “He’s a partier.”
Zeke shrugged, smiling somewhat. “I hope it works out for them. They look happy.”
“That’s so sweet,” Harolyn sighed. “I never thought Smithies would be the type to settle down with anyone. You know how he is.”
“I give it a year,” Cadence shook her head. “Call me a pessimist, but how long can an everlasting frat boy and a homemaker last, really?”
Ajani poked her friend. “Quit being so anti-love. You know it’s sweet. I’m sure that when you find the right guy…”
“I hope Terrell proposes to me in a romantic way,” Harolyn’s eyes were already dreamy, her mind filled with the perfect proposal from her boyfriend of almost a year.
“Whatever. Love is an allusion,” Cadence reminded her friends with a smirk.
Minutes later, many people were starting to trickle out of the warehouse to head for home. Although it was Saturday night, there were many things to do on Sunday morning, and a full eight hours of sleep were needed.
“Okay, girl, we’re out,” Harolyn hugged Ajani on her way out to the apartment that she and Cadence shared. “Call me tomorrow so we can go shopping for your corporate wardrobe.”
Blinking slowly at her friends, whose images were a bit fuzzy, Ajani nodded. “Kay. See you,” she mumbled, stumbling a bit.
Cadenced eyed her curiously. “Are you okay, Jani?” she questioned. “You sure you were just drinking soda?”
“Of course I was!” Ajani exclaimed. “You know I don’t like alcohol.” She rubbed at her eyes. “I think I’m just a little tired. I should probably get some water first to wake me up before I drive.”
Her friends waved one last time before their departure for their apartment, leaving a dizzy Ajani on her own.
Shuffling towards the bathroom, Ajani struggled to keep her eyes open. Was she really that tired? “I guess I need to go to sleep earlier,” she murmured, trying her hardest to maintain her balance once she reached the doorway of a strange smelling room. Stepping inside, Ajani felt a sharp pain in her stomach and soon found herself on the ground, surrounded by nothing but darkness.
Somewhat irritated by Leo’s hesitance to leave, Zeke searched for the nearest exit, muttering to himself all the while. “You dragged me to this lame party, and then when it’s time to leave, you insist on staying….” He ducked into the doorway of a mysterious-looking room, pausing when he realized how dark it was.
Walking into the darkness, Ezekiel almost tripped over a couch near the corner of the room. “Why would this randomly be in here?” he murmured, looking down to see a figure with its arms spread akimbo. “Are you okay, miss?” Zeke tapped the woman on her shoulder. “Can you hear me?”
“Everything hurts…” she groaned, holding her hand over her stomach. “Everything…” Before Zeke knew it, the young lady had slipped back into her still state. “Somebody call an ambulance! Help!”
“Hey…” Leo said to his friend in the waiting room. “They said she’s gonna be fine. She had an allergic reaction to the pineapple in the punch, so that’s why she passed out. But, she’s okay now. Sitting up in bed and talking while being checked out of the hospital.”
Zeke nodded, his mind replaying the night’s events. What if he hadn’t been there? What would have happened if he hadn’t gone into the room? He shuddered at the thought of what could have been and stood to his feet. “If she’s okay, let’s go,” Zeke said suddenly as he headed towards the exit.
“What, you don’t want to say anything to her family or anything?” Leo scrambled after his best friend. “The doctor says that they probably want to say something to you.”
“No thanks. I need to get going,” Zeke shrugged. “Work on Monday.”
“Dude!” Leo stood, watching the silhouette shrink away.
After their midnight trip to the hospital, all of the Nuru family was back at home.
“How did you not know that there were pineapples in the punch, Ajani?” her mother questioned, shaking her head. “It’s your responsibility to be aware of your allergy.”
“Mom, I know,” Jani murmured as she settled on her bed. “I just didn’t think about it.”
Karima stuck her head into her older sister’s room. “Se Mi’s on the phone and wants to know if you’re okay. Yes?”
“Yes,” Jani laughed. “Tell Se Mi that I’m fine. It’s just allergies.”
When the younger Nuru left the room, Jani smiled over at her mom. “I’m okay, Mom, I swear. This is only the second time…”
“And it was just as scary as the first,” Neve scoffed. “Well, anyway, I’m going to let you rest, since tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you.”
Ajani lifted a brow curiously. “Tomorrow’s going to be busy? Why?” she opened the doors to her bureau to change into her pajamas.
“We have to go shopping, of course! The day after is your first day at your father’s company, and I don’t want you to embarrass him. He is the president, you know.”
“Yes ma’am!” Ajani saluted, rewarded with a scowl from her mother. “Love you!”
A faint “Love you too” rang out before her mother exited the bedroom, leaving Jani alone with her thoughts, which seemed to be directed towards the savior of the night. She hadn’t gotten a clear image of what he looked like, but she did know that his eyes…his eyes were gorgeous. At least, they looked gorgeous in the thirty seconds she’d been awake.
Chuckling to herself, Ajani slipped in her bed and fell easily into a peaceful sleep.
………………………………………….
Huzzah! Chapter two is done with! Thanks for reading up to this far, everyone! I’ll work hard to make chapter three even better!
Until then…adios!
It’s here! *throws confetti*
Chapter one of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’ has finally arrived! I know you’e excited, because I am, too! It took a lot of work and a lot of time, but it’s finally done!
Without further ado (hehe), here is chapter one of ‘Mixing Business with Pleasure’.
The air was cool and crisp outside when Ajani Nuru arrived in front of her house. “Where is everybody?” Ajani mumbled, trying to remember if there was a reason that every light in her home was off.
She was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Jani looked up to see her family crowded around the front door. “Surprise!” they cheered, causing their eldest daughter to stumble back.
“What in the world, guys?!” she gasped, holding her hand to heart.
“You’re right, honey,” Neve Nuru nudged her husband. “She does scare easily. I wonder she got that from…”
Laughing, Peter ushered his daughter into the house and led her to the dining room. “Congratulations, Ajani. You got the job.”
Her twin siblings Karima and Kweli and trailed into the living room after their mother just in time to see the look of surprise on their sister’s face.
“I-I got it? I got the job?!” Jani echoed with awe-struck eyes.
Peter nodded. “Everyone, welcome the newest member of LEGIT Magazine!
The Nuru’s clapped enthusiastically while all Jani could do was stare open-mouthed at her father.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” Karima frowned her sister’s way. “We waited all this time, and—”
Peter hushed his youngest and turned his direction to Jani. “Sit down. Your mom made a big meal to congratulate you.”
Everyone was seated and talked excitedly amongst themselves when Neve emerged from the kitchen with a plate of turkey in her arms. “Let me help you with that, Mom,” Kweli said quickly, pushing out of his seat before he was stopped by his twin.
“Not a chance, Kwels. We all know that you’re just trying to get your choice of ribs,” Karima quipped, pointing to her seat. “Greedy boy…”
“Greedy man,” Kweli corrected with a grin.
“You’re still greedy,” his twin rolled her eyes and leaned back in her seat.
Looking at his family eat and chat, Peter Nuru felt a rush of pride. His oldest son, Jalil, was studying art in New York, Ajani had just entered his company, and his youngest children were doing well in school. Not to mention his marriage was reaching the silver anniversary. It seemed that all was going well in the Nuru household.
“Jani,” Neve addressed her daughter. “Are you free on Wednesday?”
Ajani chewed on her turkey thoughtfully. “It depends on what you have in mind for Thursday,” she swallowed. “If it’s another date, then I’m busy. If not, then sure, I’m free.”
Neve shot Peter a look, but he just stared back at her in mirth. “Honey, will you please talk some sense into our daughter?”
“Dad, will you please talk some sense into your wife?” Jani said with a laugh. “This is the 21st century—people can get married at any age, to anyone they please. I’m only 23 years old!”
“Do you think that’s young, Jani?” Neve scoffed. “When I was 23, I already had a two-year old and another on the way.”
“Well, that’s because you and Daddy weren’t well-educated on the subject of protection,” Karima tossed, munching on her turkey.
“Karima!” Neve’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment, and she immediately looked down at her plate.
Kweli snorted obnoxiously. “She ain’t lying, though. I wouldn’t be too surprised if we had another little Nuru on the way.”
“You two!”
Ajani laughed, secretly glad that her siblings had turned the conversation away from her. Although she was of good marrying age, Jani wasn’t prepared to be in any sort of romantic relationship. She was perfectly happy living vicariously through the lives’ of her friends.
The doorbell rang, and Karima hopped out of her seat, already making her way towards the door. “Oh, hi, Tyler,” Karima was heard saying from the dining room.
Jani could just picture her little sister staring up into the hazel eyes of Tyler DiMassey, Jalil’s closest friend.
“Hi, ‘Rima,” he winked, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him. “Hello, fam!”
Chad Tyler DiMassey stood at a tall 6”2, armed with dreamy eyes and a charming grin that served to make almost every female swoon.
“Ty, my man!” Kweli rose from his chair to greet the man who was much like another brother. “How you doin’?”
“Fine, Kwels, just fine,” Tyler grinned, turning his eyes to look at the older Nurus. “Uncle Peter, Aunt Nevie, hi.”
Tyler was the only person in the world who had the guts to call Neve Nuru ‘Nevie’. If anyone else tried it, including her own husband, they would suffer mass consequences.
But Neve smiled warmly at him, as always, and gestured that he sit down beside Kweli. “How have you been, Tyler? How’s your mother?”
“I’ve been alright. And Mama’s doing just fine,” he nodded with a smile. “And you guys?”
Peter shrugged. “Same old, same old. Though I hear that you’re doing well in medical school. Getting great grades, hmm?”
“Oh, right, those great grades,” Tyler attempted to be modest, rubbing the back of his neck as if he’d forgotten. “Just doing what I have to do.”
“You are a mess,” Jani shook her head with a laugh, standing up to clear her plate. “Acting like you’re humble or something.”
“Whatever,” Tyler shot back. “I’m quite the humble fellow, in case you didn’t realize it.”
Neve and Peter just sat back, enjoying the playful banter between the two young people. “You know, Peter,” she murmured to her husband, eyes still on her daughter, “Ajani and Tyler would make a nice pair, don’t you think?”
Peter turned to his wife in disbelief. “You’re not serious, are you, Neve?
“As serious a heart attack,” Neve smiled to herself after using Kweli’s favorite phrase. “You don’t think so?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” Peter replied.
In the kitchen, Tyler leaned against the counter and watched Ajani at the sink. “So, congrats on getting the job,” he offered. “You worked hard.”
Ajani turned to smile at him. “Thanks. I was really nervous going into the building, even though I’ve been in there thousands of times. I thought I was going to puke.”
“That sounds…disgusting,” Tyler laughed. “But you got it, so whatever.”
She nodded. “So, has Jalil got in touch with you?”
Tyler shrugged, playing with some fake fruit on the counter. “We talk on Facebook, but he’s busy. With Faith and Ghani, you know.”
“Right,” Ajani said quietly after putting her plate away. “It’s late.”
“So what?” Tyler laughed. “Is that supposed to be my cue to go home or something?”
She giggled. “Maybe.”
There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two of them, but it was interrupted by Kweli’s shouts. “Jani, Tyler! We’re about to play Taboo!”
Tyler gestured towards the living room. “We better get out there before they start choosing teams. God forbid that they put us together.” He was rewarded with a slap on the shoulder before the two of them strolled out to join the rest of the family.
……………………………………………………….
“Sorry, honey, but I wasn’t able to make you a full meal,” Helen Bayo smiled up at her son as she laid the table, “I had a lot of orders, so I had to close the store late.”
Ezekiel, her only son, shook his head. “It’s okay, Mom. You didn’t have to do all of this.”
She straightened and gave him a strange look. “Why wouldn’t I have to do all this? It’s my duty as a mother to celebrate everything with you, especially you getting a job at LEGIT Magzine. It’s a big deal.”
“I guess so,” Zeke shrugged. “So what were the orders for?” His mother owned a small flower shop nearby, and recently she was getting a lot of business.
“Remember Georgie Macintod? Well, her son is getting married, and she wanted everything to be flowery. The wedding’s tomorrow,” Helen said, lifting her hamburger to her mouth. “Are you not eating?”
“Oh, sorry. I am.”
Helen watched her son eat, wondering just what he could be thinking about. At this time, most young men would be ecstatic with joy over being hired at one of the most prestigious companies in the country, but not Ezekiel. He had been a calm, cool, and collected person since birth, and God bless his heart for it. It certainly made raising him on her own much easier for Helen.
“Mom?”
His deep voice interrupted her train of thought. “Yes, honey?”
“I have to get going now,” he stood from his seat. “Leo’s locked out of the apartment because he left his key inside, and I don’t want him to have to break in again.”
Helen blinked at him. “Okay. Zeke. Go safely.”
Ezekiel nodded and placed a kiss on his mother’s forehead. “Goodnight, Mom. Sleep well.”
On his way out, Zeke turned to wave at Helen again. “Lock up.” And then he was gone.
Sighing, Helen stood and washed the dishes in silence. Zeke was a good son, but sometimes she felt as though he was holding back some things from her, like he didn’t want to share his feelings. He’d always been a very private kid, but there were just some things that a mother needed to be a part of. Helen couldn’t blame him, though. If only he’d grown up with a father…
“Dude, where have you been??” Leopold Nam exclaimed, glaring at his best friend at he waited in front of their apartment. “I have to take a serious leak!”
Zeke smiled. “Traffic,” he replied, pulling out the key from his back pocket. “This is your fault, anyway. Who told you to leave your key inside?”
As soon as the door was unlocked, Leo ran into the house and straight for the bathroom. “So how was dinner with Helen? Did she pull out the bubbly?” he called to Zeke.
Zeke made a face in his room. “No. Does my mom look like she drinks champagne? Plus, it wasn’t a special occasion. Why would she bring that out?” Zeke smiled, dropping down on onto his bed and pulling off his shoes.”
“What do you mean, this isn’t a special occasion? My boy’s entered the work force!” Leo poked his head into Zeke’s room to see him lying on the bed. “To celebrate, let’s go clubbing.”
“Excuse me?” Zeke looked up at his roommate. “I don’t ‘club’.”
“Look, this might be the only night of freedom you have before you start doing all-nighters! Plus, we can pick up some girls…” Leo trailed off, hoping that he sounded convincing enough. “Fun, right?”
“No thanks,” Zeke sighed, closing his eyes. “I feel like I should be sleeping instead of clubbing.”
“Okay fine. I know of this dude who’s having a party tonight. It’s not going to be too big, but it’ll be fun. C’mon!” Leo said persistently. “Just for tonight.”
“Fine. Give me fifteen minutes, though.”
Leo pumped his fists and walked into his bedroom, humming the Beastie Boy’s “You Gotta Fight For Your Right (To Party)”.
………………………………………………………………………
YAY!
You guys be sure to let me know what you think about this first chapter. Comments, questions, concerns, etc.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to push out a couple more chapters this month, but for sure, chapter two will be on in the next few days!
Nos vemos! 
Welcome to my (neynie) story site.
As you all may know, when I get to writing a story, I usually give up just becase. It’s happened like two times before, and maybe some of you were sad and wondered “WHAT IS SHE DOING?! I WAS JUST GETTING INTO IT!!”
Well, no worries, my loyal readers (if you’re out there! hehe)! This story, Business with Pleasure, is one that I MUST finish, no matter what. And since July had just hit, it means that I have about two months to spew about a bunch of updates for you guys.
*pauses for applause*
You’re welcome, everybody.
But seriously, I’ll be working really hard to push out at least two chapters every month (God willing!). So bear with me, if you will.
Thanks!
