It was just after eight on Friday morning, and a few early birds were already inside the bank. As Joi exited the break room, she watched the bank’s customers coming and going, filling in deposit slips, sitting in the waiting area or doing business at the teller desk. She knew she should be walking down the hallway toward the vault, but she stood there for a few moments, hoping to gather herself for today’s task.
When Roosevelt had informed her the previous day of the inventory she’d be expected to participate in, she’d been a little stunned. As a security expert, she understood why the inventory was a necessary function for the bank, and why two people were assigned to perform it instead of one person alone. Still, as things stood between her and Marco, she predicted a very charged environment within the confines of the vault.
Jackie strolled through the open double doors leading to the corridor, walking up to Joi.
“Morning, Jackie.”
“Morning, boss lady. What’s the matter with you? Your face is mighty tight.”
Joi sighed. “I’m on inventory duty today with Mr. Alvarez. I anticipate the day will be very tedious and dull.” It was the best excuse she could think of to explain her sour expression. She certainly wasn’t about to tell her guard the real reason.
Jackie’s expression morphed into a knowing smile. “I don’t think so. Not since you and Mr. Alvarez are obviously smitten with each other.”
Joi said nothing, choosing instead to fix Jackie with a censuring look.
She waved her off. “Don’t give me that look. You don’t have to admit it, I already know the deal.” She moved on down the hall, toward her duty station outside the vault door.
With a groan, Joi followed her. The last thing she needed right now was for her guards and the bank staff to be gossiping about the chemistry between her and Marco. Her attraction to Marco was impractical, inconvenient and probably ill-advised. It was also very real, and so far she hadn’t been able to push it away.
She was standing by the vault door with Jackie when Marco strode out of his office, which faced the vault. He looked quite dashing in a black suit, crisp white shirt and black-white-and-yellow-patterned tie. He pulled a small wheeled cart along behind him.
“Good morning, ladies.” While Marco’s greeting encompassed the both of them, the smile he wore seemed to be directed at Joi.
Jackie nodded a greeting in return.
“Good morning, Marco.” Joi took a small step out of the way, so he could approach the vault. “Is there anything I should bring in with me for the inventory?”
He shook his head. “No. I have all the necessary supplies with me.” He gestured to his cart.
“Okay, sounds good.” Inside, she was both nervous and giddy, but she refused to let on. What mattered most to her was that he saw her as a professional; someone capable of handling any task they might be assigned.
She watched him input a series of codes into the keypad on the vault door. A long beep and a flashing green light emitted from the keypad, and then he spun the handle on the vault door and pulled it open. The big door took a few tugs to release, and then he opened it about halfway.
He turned back toward her, and spoke. “Joi, I know the inventory came as a surprise to you, and I apologize that you weren’t given more notice.”
She kept her expression blank. “It’s not a problem.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” His appearance turned more serious. “I want to make sure you’re comfortable with completing the inventory with me.”
“I am.”
“Because if you’re not, I’d be glad to allow your guard to accompany us inside the vault, or whatever would work best for you.”
Aware of Jackie’s listening ears, Joi kept her voice even. “Marco, I’m fine with carrying out the inventory according to the bank’s rules. You don’t need to make any special arrangements for me.” In her mind, she knew that meant she was agreeing to be alone inside the vault with Marco for an undisclosed period of time. She told herself that it didn’t matter, that she was simply here to perform a job. But her heart knew that the time alone with him was bound to bring her feelings to the surface.
“All right. And remember, if at any time you change your mind, we’ll stop the inventory and make adjustments.” Marco had already slipped inside the brightly lit interior of the vault.
With a brief glance toward her grinning guard, Joi followed Marco into the vault. The chill hanging in the air was the first thing she noticed, and it made her close the open halves of her blazer, and button it. Apparently the vault wasn’t heated, at least not as much as the rest of the bank’s interior.
Marco instructed Jackie, “Leave the door just slightly ajar, please. That way if there’s an emergency we can be heard.”
“Yes, sir.” Jackie tugged on the vault door, leaving a thin sliver of space between the door and the frame.
When Joi turned Marco’s way, she saw him stooped down, taking things out of the small cart he’d brought in with him. She watched as he opened up a small tray table, setting it up in the center of the room. On it he placed four bottles of water, an electronic scanner and a small basket of snacks.
“I see you’ve thought of everything.” She walked over to get a closer look at the contents of the basket. It held a few apples and bananas, protein bars and a jar of mixed nuts.
He smiled. “I’ve done the inventory twice before, and after I learned how long it could take, I realized it made sense to be extra prepared.”
“How long is it going to take?”
“Two and a half to three hours. Sometimes it seems longer, with the vault being so chilly.”
She pointed to the black scanner device next to the basket. “I’m assuming this is your inventory gun?”
“Yes.” He picked it up and turned it on. “The device takes a photograph of everything we count, and I use this keypad to enter data to go along with each photo.”
“And what’s my role as security chief?”
“To go behind me with your own gun.” He produced another device from the cart, handing it to her. “If our records aren’t an exact match, that’s an indication of a problem. There’s also a paper document to be filled in, but Roosevelt will take care of that.”
“Show me how this works. I don’t want to get it wrong.”
He powered her device on, and gave her a brief tutorial on how to operate it. Then he asked, “Do you feel comfortable enough with it to get started?”
She nodded.
“Do you feel comfortable enough with me? Because my promise remains intact, Joi.”
She drew in a deep breath. “I’m fine, Marco.”
A ghost of a smile crossed his handsome face. “Then let’s get started.”
Starting in one corner of the vault, the two of them moved around the perimeter of the room to perform the inventory. Marco used his skeleton key to open each box, used the machine to record the data and then stepped back so Joi could mimic his steps. At box number twenty-eight, the transition between his steps and hers happened a bit too fast, with her stepping up to the box before he had a chance to back away. The back of her body was in full contact with the front of his for a few seconds, and the heat of his nearness seeped right through the fabric barriers between them. A tingle ran down her spine, and she deeply inhaled the cool air scented with his cologne. Once she got her bearings again, she hazarded a glance at him. His expression showed no signs that he’d been uncomfortable with the contact, but when he winked at her, she had to turn away.
Touching him made her feel reckless, uninhibited. They’d managed to get most of the job done with very little physical contact, but when it came to Marco, it didn’t take much. As she tried to turn her attention back to the work at hand, Joi knew that if they touched again, she would probably give in to every lusty urge she harbored for him.
* * *
As they reached the midpoint at the seventy-fifth box, Marco asked, “Do you need a break?”
“Yes. My eyes are starting to cross from looking at the screen on this thing.” She gestured to her inventory gun.
He moved toward the center of the room, near the table, and set his machine down.
Joi followed suit.
He observed her, noting that she appeared to be watching his every move. Cracking open the cap on a bottle of water, he held it out to her. “Here you go. And have a snack if you’d like.”
She reached out for the water, and their hands touched.
He felt the familiar crackle of electricity run through his body. The one he felt every time they touched.
Taking the water from him, she drank a long sip before setting it aside. Her gaze never left his face.
Curious about her state of mind, he asked, “Are you all right, Joi?”
She recapped the water bottle and set it down. Her tongue darted out to lick a few stray droplets of water from her glossy lips. “I will be, once you kiss me.”
His body reacted to the heat in her words and in her gaze. Mentally willing his erection to stand down, he spoke softly. “Are you sure? We still have quite a bit of work to do.”
“It will get done, don’t worry. But right now all I can think about is this.” She eased closer to him, and when she entered his personal space, her fingertips rose to graze over the line of his jaw.
The temperature in the vault seemed to rise twenty degrees in that moment. He crooked his finger, then placed it beneath her chin to tilt her face up, at just the right angle. Then he leaned in, letting his lips brush against hers.
The kiss was at first pensive; sweet and fleeting. Soon, the rising heat of desire spurred him on, and he deepened the kiss. As his tongue swept between her lips, she grasped either side of his face while he draped his arms around her waist. He drew her as close to his body as he could, savoring both the sweetness of her mouth and the feel of her feminine softness pressed against him. A soft murmur escaped her throat, muffled by the seal of their lips, and his manhood tightened again.
He knew that if they kept this up, they would end up in a position that might compromise the overall great working atmosphere at the bank. Reluctantly, he ended the kiss.
A guilty look flashed over Joi’s countenance, and she let her hands drop away, releasing her hold on his face.
For a few moments, only the sounds of their rapid breathing filled the space.
His arms were still draped around her waist. Looking into the crystalline pools of her dark eyes, he offered a slight smile. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not cold anymore.”
She blushed, and he found the color filling her cheeks both amusing and endearing.
“It’s time I took you on a proper date, Joi. Come to my band’s show tonight, and I’ll take you out afterward.”
Her expression turned sly. “And what will we do after that?”
He shrugged. “I’ll let you lead, and we’ll see where the night takes us. So will you come?”
Appearing pleased, she nodded. “Just tell me the time and place.”
He filled her in on the details of the show, and after they each had a piece of fruit and a protein bar, the inventory continued.
* * *
Seated on the stage with his saxophone lying across his lap, Marco looked at the blue velvet curtain in front of him. From the other side, he could hear the boisterous cheers of the Friday-night crowd at the Blue Lounge, as they awaited the beginning of the Queen City Gents show. His bandmates were set up around him, each man readying his instrument for the performance, which would begin at any moment. The four of them took a great deal of pride in putting on an entertaining show. Tonight, Marco knew that his greatest concern would be the opinion of one audience member in particular: Joi.
The heated moments they’d shared in the bank vault earlier that day had spurred him on toward asking her to attend a Gents show. Not only would it give her a chance to see him in action on the sax, but he also planned to take her to the best dessert spot in the city. Once they were alone, he planned to show her his “sweeter” side, and he genuinely hoped she’d enjoy herself with him.
The owner of the lounge announced the band, and Marco watched as the curtain rose to reveal the faces of the people in attendance at the show. It was a packed house, as it usually was on weekends. The front tables were again filled with female fans, who’d paid extra to sit close to the stage. His gaze quickly zeroed in on Joi, who was sitting at one of those tables, just to the left of center stage. She looked gorgeous, with her hair sleekly styled, and a close-fitting sweater and skirt hugging the curves of her frame. Her legs were encased in a pair of thigh-high boots with stiletto heels, and she sat with them crossed demurely in front of her. Not wanting to miss his cue, he dragged his eyes away from her and focused on Rashad, who functioned as vocalist, pianist and bandleader during their shows.
Rashad, seated on a bench in front of the upright piano, raised his hand high. Ken tapped out a count with his sticks, and the Gents eased into their first number, the Charlie Parker classic, “Bird of Paradise.”
As Marco carried the melody on his saxophone, he glanced back and forth between the sheet music and Joi. Since he knew the composition by heart, his wandering eye didn’t affect his performance. Seeing Joi swaying in her seat made him glad the band had decided to lead the set with a song that showcased his talents on the sax. A few women had risen from their seats to hang out near the edge of the stage, and for the first time, Marco didn’t even bother to look their way. He only had eyes for Joi.
When the set ended, he rushed to get his instrument packed away so he could whisk her off to their next destination.
As he jogged toward the stage door that led to the main area of the lounge, with his sax case in hand, he darted by Ken.
“Where are you hurrying off to?”
“Got a date. Later, man.” And he didn’t hang around to continue the conversation.
He entered into the main area of the lounge, and stopped short when he saw a smiling Joi conversing with a tall, fair-skinned man. A twinge of jealousy tightened his face, but he held off on saying anything so they could finish their conversation.
Noticing him, Joi waved him over. “Marco, there you are. This is Trevor. We went to high school together. Trevor, this is Marco, my date.”
Hearing her refer to him as her “date” helped ease the tension building inside him. He stuck out his hand to the man towering over him. “Nice to meet you, Trevor.”
“Likewise.” Trevor shook Marco’s hand, then returned his attention to Joi. “I won’t hold you up from your date, but it was nice seeing you again.”
“Nice seeing you, too.” She waved as Trevor departed, then turned back to him. “Ready to go?”
“Let’s go.” Offering his arm, he guided her past the stage and out the side door. They paused for a moment to shrug into their coats, then he swung open the door and they stepped out into the clear, cold night.
He slipped his hand over hers as they walked. At his sedan, he popped the trunk with the remote on his key and placed his saxophone case inside. Snapping the trunk shut, he grasped her hand again and continued to walk.
Her confusion apparent, she asked, “We’re not taking the car?” He’d picked her up from home earlier in the evening, and she didn’t look very enthusiastic about walking in the chilly weather.
“No. The place I’m taking you to is less than a block away.” He could see the wisps of frozen vapor coming from their mouths, and vowed to get her out of this cold as quickly as he could.
She nodded, letting him lead her down the lamp-lit sidewalk.