Chapter Five- Janet

I sat at my desk looking out at the riverfront watching the yuppie couples dining, drinking their lattés and cappuccinos. My work was so demanding these days, I hardly had time to sit and think at my desk without receiving a thousand and one calls.

I was a Human Resource Manager for a large Media company, and the office was always vibrant and busy. My desk was swamped with paperwork; I could just about locate my phone. I looked up at the picture that was sitting on my desk of Me, Leyah, Yasmin, Gregory and Marcus at our college prom. This picture always put a smile on my face and would warm up my coldest of days. The clothes we were all wearing were so embarrassing! Marcus had this slanted high top which was dyed blonde at the top. I remember he used to have all the latest haircuts before any of the other guys in college. Greg, was funny, the joker of the group always making people laugh. He was wearing this awful cream pinstripe suit, with a yellow satin shirt and his dark sunglasses! I saw him a few months ago, working as an engineer for B.T, he has four kids for three different women! I shook my head recalling his behaviour at college; I always knew he would be one of those men! The girls and I all looked hot as per usual. Sporting hairstyles, which we would never resort to now, but it was the lick back in those days. Yasmin, was wearing this skintight little black dress, don’t ask me where she was going in that. I remember the whole night she kept on pulling it down, all it did was ride up and entice the horny college boys. Wow, those were the days, how I miss those moments.
Looking at the picture made me remember seeing Marcus earlier, so I decided that I had got over the initial shock of seeing him and I was ready to spread the news that he was back in London. I located my office phone under all the paperwork and dialled the familiar number.

“Hey Keshia, you never guess who I saw today?”
“Who? No don’t tell me… Wintson?’ She laughed
“Oh hell nah! Not that dry head teefing bastard! I wish I did see him!… Nah I saw Marcus…”
“Ohhh girl. Where? Did he look good? Was he with a woman?” Keshia said eagerly
“Oh my gosh, did he look good! That is an understatement! You know he always looks sexy. But I couldn’t find it in myself to speak to him, I mean I was so shocked that I saw him, I thought he was still out of London. We talked a few months back and he didn’t mention that he would be coming back anytime soon. Well I haven’t spoken to him in ages but that’s not the point.”
“Look Jay, why didn’t you go and say hi, I don’t understand! Don’t tell me that the man still makes you weak, he must have been with a woman for you not to say anything to him”
“You don’t understand. I mean I froze I had an exhale moment, my breath stopped and I had to exhale from the bottom of my lungs. The man had me hypnotised just with his distant presence”
“Now look if a man can do that to you, why in the hell did you two not get it together after that night?” She said in a puzzled voice.
“It wasn’t that simple…come on now he was my bestfriend, he knew everything about me and...”
“And nothing! He wanted you and you definitely wanted him, and you just let him go. You let him slip from beneath your hands, damn I would have taken care of him for you” Keshia laughed
“I’m sure you would of! Listen I don’t know what to do. Should I call him or wait for him to call me? I mean I would like to catch up with him. Sit and talk about what he’s been up to”
“Yeah I’m sure you would, look what happened the last time you did that!”
“Nah, I’m not out for getting in his pants, I just want to see him and be able to have a friendship like how we used to. I’m over that night. I mean it was me who didn’t want to discuss it further afterwards. I just wanted it to disappear, to be a pleasurable memory that we both held. Imagine if we got together and it didn’t work out, then all our history together would have been ruined. It was for the best. I did what was right. Now we are still are friends and I love him dearly” I said trying to convince myself
“Look Jay, imma be straight with you. You lost a damn good man, well you let a damn good man go. He was perfect and he is one of the very few good men out there. I always knew that you would have that one passionate night, but I thought it would bring you together. You can’t let the past of your bad relationships haunt you forever. Get over them and take a chance for once in your life. Call him and ask him round for a drink… make sure that you are looking as fine as ever and just seduce him!”
“KESHIA!”
“No seduce him with your words! Damn I know he must still be feeling the effects of that night and you did basically kick him out afterwards! Shit the man must feel that he can’t even approach you face to face anymore!”
“Keshia, what are you saying? You think I should call him?”
“Hell yeah! You better call him and apologise for your behaviour that night! Okay I’m chatting rubbish now. But call him and tell him that you were thinking about him and wanted to see how he was doing. Don’t tell him that you saw him. Let him tell you that he is back in London.”
“Yeah, your right. I’m not gonna say I saw his fine, sexy ass. I’m just gonna call him like I was thinking bout him. I miss him, we was so close back in the day”
“I know, that’s why you have to do this. Come on you know him better than he knows his self almost”
“Yeah your right. Okay gotta go. Imma call him now before I explode!”
“Good. Tell him I said hi.”
I put down the phone and thought about how I was gonna approach it, as I recited it in my mind the phone began to ring….
“Keshia imma do it now….”
“Hey” Said a deep sexy voice down the line.
“Hello? Keshia?” I said puzzled
“Nah babes this isn’t Keshia. It’s me…. Marcus”
Oh my gosh, my heart skipped a beat and I froze for a quick minute. “Marcus, oh my gosh babes. Long time no hear. I thought you forgot about me!” I stuttered
“Hell nah. I could never forget about you Jay. You’re my girl for life!”
I laughed, he was still the same. Still presented with the same humour, like we had never been separated for so long. The way which he said I was his girl made me lose focus for a while.
“How have you been? I missed you girl!” He confessed sounding all sexy.
“I’ve been okay. Just working and getting on with things, you know how it is. Bought a new house...”
“Yeah I heard, good on you girl. You know I’m back in London now…”
“Really! How comes? You back for good or passing through?”
“Well…I’m back here for good, you know. Luton is dead! I love London and I missed my girl Janet” Marcus said cheekily. “Jay, look here. I haven’t seen you in over three years. Damn what you look like now girl? You still as fine as I remember?… I’m just playing with you!.”
“I know Marcus, you always make me smile, and I miss that about you. I miss the way we used to talk back in the day”
“I know Jay, so do I” I could hear the sincerity in his tone. “You know you are so special to me, and you will always be. Look we need to meet up, let’s go out for a drink. What you doing tonight?”
“Tonight? Errm... well…”
“That’s good nothing. Lets meet up at Embargos at nine, and I will not take no for an answer” Marcus demanded
“Marcus, you can’t just demand that I meet you tonight, with no warning! I might have plans!”
“Jay please! Come on just meet me, we haven’t seen each other for years, now you gonna try sit there and make up an excuse for not meeting me, when you well and truly know you have nothing else to do tonight, so stop pussyfooting and meet me at nine!”
Damn, I loved it when he was so firm and authoritive, I could feel my insides warming up just picturing his expressions on his face as he spoke.
“Okay, Okay. I will meet you. But I’m only having one drink, I have work in the morning”
“Babes, one drink is not enough, but I respect that you have to work in the morning, while I will be resting in my bed, nursing my hangover” He sniggered “But what if I promise that you will have two drinks and I will ensure that you make it to work on time and sober tomorrow. Nine o’clock sharp!”
Marcus had a way with his words and I loved the way he spoke to me, I just had to oblige his offer.
“You are trouble. I haven’t seen you in years and you haven’t changed one bit Mr Walters!” I smiled “I will be there”
“Right then, word is bond. I will see you there Ms Lloyd… and hey don’t keep me waiting”

That was it! Oh my gosh, I had a date with Marcus later that same evening. What was I going to do, how would I handle seeing him again after so long. Damn I need to leave work early and sort myself out. Wait why should I? He knows what I look like first thing in the morning, we have spent many nights sleeping in the same bed after a long night of raving. But I can’t let him see me looking a wreck, not that I look one at the moment but I need to look presentable. Right that’s decided I need to hit Westend and pick up something new for tonight. Damn, what do I even want to come of tonight?