It was eight o’clock at night, and Ansley had just finished washing the dishes from her dinner party. She was exhausted, but there was work to be done. She was two hours into her assignment, and her legs were beginning to ache from sitting on the floor crossed legged with her feet tucked under her thighs.
Ansley pulled her hair up into a messy bun and began rubbing the back of her neck. She adjusted her laptop which was sitting in her lap and placed it on the chocolate, leather ottoman in the center of her living room. She felt a tad bit overwhelmed.
She had yet to begin working on her article submission for Grind House, and she didn’t want to keep Jason waiting. Her goal was to have her article submitted before the Tuesday deadline. It was important that Jason and the other writers saw her a great contribution to the team.
Rubbing her eyes, Ansley decided it was time to take a break. She stood to stretch and legs, and walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Taking a couple of sips, Ansley stared at her phone on the island charging. She considered calling Davis back and telling him that he could lose her number. He had called her a couple of times during the dinner party, but in light of recent events, she had yet to commit to reaching out to him.
As if on cue, her phone rang.
It was Davis.
She answered on the second ring.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he said. “Ms. Wright, what do I owe the pleasure of actually hearing your voice and not your voicemail on this evening?”
Ansley exhaled. “It’s been a little hectic with the new job kicking into gear, and then there’s school. I’m still trying to find balance,” she said. “You caught me at a good time. I’m taking a break from my paper.”
“How was your day?
She unplugged the phone and hopped up on the counter top to sit. “Busy. I have a demanding schedule this week. I have a couple of deadlines that I need to meet for school and work, and I just need to manage my time wisely to get everything done.”
“You sound stressed,” Davis said. “When was the last time you had a massage? Maybe you need someone to help you alleviate some of that tension.”
Ansley scrunched her nose. The idea of him touching her was not a tempting offer considering he had been with Simeon. Then again, she wasn’t even sure if that was even true. Simeon didn’t have a reason to lie to her, but she had been shifting moods on her lately, so Ansley wasn’t sure which way to think. All she knew was that she planned to keep it cordial until she got some answers.
“It’s been a minute. I’ll have to get that planned in the near future. But listen, I really need to get back focused.”
She heard him draw in a breath.
“I’ll let you get to work, but don’t forget I’m kidnapping you for a Valentine’s Day. We’ll start out with a morning walk through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and then brunch at The West Egg in Midtown. Midday, we can hit up the Art Stroll in Atlantic Station, and following that, I was thinking we would catch a movie,” Davis told her. “And if we get hungry again, we can have dinner or dessert somewhere. Are you up for that?”
Ansley pretended to strangle herself. He was saying the right things, but all she could think about was getting some clarity. Timing was not on her side.
“Davis, it all sounds wonderful. We’ll see how the week unfolds. Okay?
Again, she could hear the life deflating out of him, but until they had a chance to speak in person she had to try to reel in her emotions.
“I see,” he replied. “Well you’re a grinder. I know you’ll have your work done before I get back. We are doing this,” he claimed. “Besides, I really miss you, and this…we can’t wait another minute. I’ll call you when I return on Thursday.”
He disconnected the call before she could protest.
Her heart melted. Ansley wanted to dismiss her desire to connect with him further, but she could not just turn off the feelings she was developing. She drew in a long breath. So much for getting back to work, her mind was fully concentrated on Davis. Hearing the deep timbre of his voice sent her pulse racing. Dang it, Simeon.
As long as Simeon kept popping into her head, she knew she would have a temporary block on her desires. Ansley shook away the thoughts that made her lips quiver in anticipation of a kiss that would not come.
“Davis, what are you doing to me?” she whispered.