I Want Candy Read online

  “You can’t get off the hook that easily. You know what’s been going on. I never put this meal or any recent one we’ve shared under the guise of business. I made it clear when we were out for business. I told you specifically what the meeting topic was. I haven’t said any such thing lately. I never said I wanted to discuss the budget with you. I asked you out to dinner, as I would any woman I was interested in. When you and your husband first split over a year ago, I was genuine in wanting to help you. I waited this entire year for you to get yourself emotionally together. For this entire year, your confidence has grown. You’re smiling again. Your work has even improved over your already excellent performance. You’re jovial and content. Enough of that though, let me cut to the chase. Ever since you began working for me, Candy, I’ve enjoyed you as a person. I honestly admit that I wasn’t in any way, shape, or form thinking of you romantically after you were hired. Besides, I was…”

  “Married,” Candy finished his sentence.

  “Yes, exactly. I’m a lot of things, but a cheater isn’t one of them. After my divorce, you were so kind to me, and I was truly surprised that you knew what was going on. I’m a private person as I’ve told you before, but I did need someone to talk to, someone objective. I’m a single father sharing custody with my ex-wife. My career’s both challenging and demanding as you know. I sometimes don’t have enough time in the day to even eat, yet I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t a hopeless romantic. I still believe in love, in romance, in dreams coming true. I’ve never dated a coworker or subordinate. I’ve never dated anyone I worked with, but for you, I’ll make an exception. I care about you, Candy. I’ve known you for years, and we’ve talked about everything under the sun. I really enjoy you.”

  Candy’s stomach tossed as she watched Gabriel’s eyes seduce her again as he stared holes into her.

  ‘I’ve been flirting with him,’ she admitted as she continued to watch him dig deeper into her soul. “Well, Mr. Justice, I don’t even know if I’m ready to date, even after all this time. I know Eric and I have been over for quite some time, though, and I’ve dated here and there.” Candy immediately thought about Quentin, then pushed him out her mind. She sighed. “I do know that dating my boss is a no-no. I can’t, no matter how much I like you.”

  “So you admit it?” he laughed.

  “Admit what?” Candy asked, wishing the waitress would return with another bottle of wine.

  “You admit that you like me.”

  “Of course I like you. You’re a great boss and a wonderful person,” she explained as her palms began to moisten.

  “Stop it,” he laughed. “You know what I mean.”

  Candy looked into her lap and folded the mauve napkin over and over until it was a fat 2” x 2” square. “Yes, I know what you mean,” she finally said.

  “Spend the night with me,” he said, his voice lowering as he politely ushered their waitress over and pointed to the empty bottle of wine.

  “Hell, no!” Candy blurted. A nearby couple looked at her appallingly then quickly turned away. Gabriel laughed as he slapped his chest with his palm.

  “And just why not? Are you dating someone? I didn’t say anything about sex,” Gabriel explained.

  “No, I’m not dating anyone right now, but that’s beside the point. This is totally inappropriate, and I’m quite frankly getting annoyed by this whole conversation.” Candy stood up abruptly and grabbed her purse and coat check ticket.

  “OK, OK. I apologize. I didn’t mean any harm. Maybe I’ve drunk too much, and it has left me too loose in the tongue.” Candy’s mind dipped into the gutter. Thoughts of his tongue moving slowly across her lips and neck entered her mind, then were quickly swept away as she regained her composure.

  “Maybe,” Candy responded. “I think I better go before this gets even more awkward.” Gabriel quickly paid the bill and called for a driver to take him to his house.

  “I’ll be leaving my car here since I’ve had my share to drink,” he explained as he hung up the phone. “I’m not drunk though!” he added.

  “I know,” Candy confirmed as she waited for the black Lincoln to escort them back to the mansion. The silence in the car was almost tangible. Candy looked dreamily out the window, at the night sky and large raindrops. Gabriel cleared his throat.

  “I’m not hitting on you when I say this. I just wanted you to know that I understand…that weight is important to you.”

  Candy turned towards him, her eyebrow raised and an attitude brewing inside her. He looked at her closely.

  “And why in the hell would I mistake that for a pick-up line? It was about as smooth as a bumpy dirt road!” Candy hissed.

  “I can see you’re becoming defensive, and you haven’t even let me finish what I’m trying to say.”

  Candy sighed. “OK, well explain, please.” She rolled her eyes and looked away.

  “I’m saying that I know weight is important to you. I like you, no matter what size you are, is my point. I’ve seen you very petite and with a little more meat on your bones, and you’re beautiful to me, no matter what size you are. I’m saying this because you’ve been working out at the company gym a lot, plus you eat like a bird. You don’t seem to enjoy yourself anymore. You know, it isn’t so much what we eat, it’s why and how much.”

  Candy huffed and rolled her eyes again. “You just couldn’t stop while you were ahead, could you? I guess now you’re a health and fitness expert!” she laughed as the car pulled into his driveway. Gabriel slowly got out of the car then peeked back inside before Candy could leap out.

  “Well, kinda. I was a personal trainer and athlete in college and am still a gym rat some degree. I used to weigh over three hundred pounds. I was a fat kid, but hey, what do I know?” A look of pain covered his face as he slowly backed away.

  Candy sank into her seat as her head lulled back onto the black leather. “Well, I’ve really done it now,” she said to herself as she finally emerged from the car. Gabriel waited by her car door as she delayed in opening it.

  “It was nice having dinner with you, Candy. I’m really quite sorry that I made you uncomfortable. I obviously misunderstood your signals, and I’m quite embarrassed, but I meant everything I said.”

  Candy stood close to him, taking in the woodsy scent of his cologne. She watched as his adam’s apple moved up and down as he spoke.

  ‘I know you’re sincere,’ she thought. ‘You were the only one who was tonight. That’s what scares me.’ She got in her car and drove home.

  * * *

  “Oh shit, y’all! Candy got herself a crush on a rich, white man! It’s her boss! He’s cute too! Not like one of those old, dried-up, Hugh Hefner types,” Jasmine teased as she pretended to be on her cell phone telling everyone about Candy. Dallas laughed and chimed in.

  “I know that’s right!” she laughed as she pounded the walnut coffee table in her condominium. “Candy, Candy, Candy! You can’t keep takin’ off work! Eventually you’ll have to go back and face him.”

  “You just don’t understand. My goose is cooked. Office romances are wrong. If there’s a break up, then everyone’s walkin’ on egg shells – not to mention, he’s my boss, and I don’t want everyone in my business,” she explained as she clasped her hands together. “And he’s older than me.” Candy rolled her eyes.

  Dallas continued, “Older men are better. They know what they want and stick to it. This man is established. When office romances work, they can be wonderful. Look, you haven’t dated – I mean really dated – in an eternity. Your boss has shown interest in you. It’s not like you two just met. You know this man! Remember when you went to his house for the first time after he found you in the fetal position in your office over that jerk, Eric?”

  “Yeah. How could I forget?” Candy said under her breath.

  “I knew then that he liked you, and you knew it too, and look, that was over a year ago. Then Quentin’s lame ass showed up – but anyway, this time things are different,” Dallas sai
d.

  “I still can’t believe he asked me to spend the night, like I was some cheap trick!” Candy simmered with returning rage.

  “Cut the crap!” Jasmine yelled while slamming down her Miller Lite. “He’s known you so long, you don’t fit in the booty call category. You said yourself he’s not that type of guy. Yeah, he probably wants sex – matter of fact, I know he does, but I don’t believe that’s all this is about. You’re just makin’ excuses.” Jasmine turned away in disgust. “Now, I personally would find it hard to date a white man – but you? That’s right up your alley!”

  “Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Candy asked, her lips turning downward.

  “I don’t have the guts, is what I’m sayin’. I don’t know what I’d have in common with any of ’em, but you’ve been hangin’ around ’em so long, it shouldn’t be a culture shock or anything,” Jasmine half-heartedly explained.

  “What? You make absolutely no sense. You make it sound like white people are aliens or something. You need to quit it. Everyone knew about your crush on Jason Olsson in high school,” Candy added with a chuckle, “so save it, Jasmine. That boy was as blonde and blue-eyed as they get, and you were pantin’ after him like some love-sick puppy.”

  “Wait a minute! I remember him!” Dallas added. “Wasn’t he the Scandinavian exchange student?”

  “Yes,” Jasmine blurted as she fell back into the plush couch laughing. “Oh, damn, Candy. That’s a blast from the past. Well, it’s one thing to have a crush and another to be able to actually date someone. If I were you, I’d go for it. Girl, you’d be rich, bitch,” Jasmine cackled. “Think about all the diamonds and furs you’d get as just everyday gifts. On second thought, yeah, I’d date him. I wish a cute, rich mothafucka would want to date me. Boss or not, I’d be wearing a thong and a new weave sewn in so tight it’d make me look Asian. I’d have a mothafucka sprung off me. He’d never leave this dime piece alone. You better tell somebody. Shorty is a ten! A ten! Shorty is a ten! A ten!” Jasmine sung.

  They all laughed as Jasmine stood up, twisting and twirling her body as though on a stripper pole.

  “Has he called to find out when you’re comin’ back?” Dallas asked as she poured herself another glass of gin and tonic.

  “No, not exactly. He just emails business stuff. He’s pretty much leavin’ me alone,” Candy shrugged. “And for the record, Jasmine, I’ve never dated a white guy, so this would be new for me too.” Candy rolled her eyes.

  “Well, I have,” Dallas announced, avoiding eye contact with the four stunned eyes that were boring holes into her.

  “What? When did you have time? You were with your ex all the time!” Jasmine spouted.

  “It was during high school and when I had a break-up with Andre. His name was Jason. We met when I was a senior in high school. I never told you all about this. He was so sweet, Ladies. We went out a few times, but nothing ever came of it. Then when Andre and I briefly broke up in college, I ran into him, and we went out a few times. We slept together.”

  Jasmine gasped while Candy smirked.

  “You’ve been holdin’ out on us,” Candy said sharply. “Well, well, well! Do tell.” She leaned back onto the lime-green pillow with the golden tassels on the couch.

  “Well, like I said, his name was Jason,” Dallas sighed as she took a sip of her drink. The ice cubes clinked together, breaking up the building suspense. “I met him at an away game. You two weren’t there because it was just the cheerleading squad and team. He played for Hughes High School. He was about 6’3”; built like a dream; medium-brown, shiny hair; a slight mustache; and big, beautiful, brown eyes. He was real tan, like he was Hispanic, only he wasn’t. We exchanged numbers and went out a few times but lost contact. When I ran into him again, he’d filled out a little and moved out of state to go to college in Tennessee. We went out that night and reconnected, and I’m tellin’ you, sparks flew. He told me all these things he hadn’t told me back then, like how much he liked me but was afraid because he knew his friends and family wouldn’t approve. He said he was a kid then, but now he was a man, and he should have listened to his heart instead of his fears. Little did he know, I stopped callin’ him for the same reason. We both were young and afraid of what others would say. I told him about Andre, and he asked me several times if I was sure it was over because he really wanted to pick up where we left off. At the time, I thought it really was over, so then, we went out a few more times, and before I knew it, I was in a hotel room with him getting my kitty cat ate so good I thought my head was gonna spin off my damn neck!”

  “What?” Candy and Jasmine burst out laughing, shock consuming their faces.

  Dallas leaned over and laughed deeply. “I’m serious, Ladies. That man – Lord, that man.” She fanned herself with her hand.

  “So what happened? He sounded like he had potential,” Jasmine said as she dipped her long, skinny fingers into the chip bowl.

  “Well, I got turned out sexually from him, and that scared me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Andre was good in bed, but Jason well, he was a damn freak, and I climaxed with him every single time. That was unheard of for me. On top of that, I could tell he was really into me.”

  “He sure was – in more ways than one!” Jasmine teased.

  “Andre came back into my life, and I let Jason go, just like that. I was still afraid of what people would think of us. I broke his heart. I remember callin’ and tellin’ him we couldn’t see each other anymore. That man actually started beggin’ on the phone. He was a big, tough guy, so it was alarming to hear him do that. He was beggin’ me to not go back to Andre and to give us a chance. Then one night he called me drunk, like a week later, and told me I was a bitch and a liar and had probably been with Andre the entire time. He was really hurt. I saw him again like two years later, and he acted like he didn’t even see me. He made a concerted effort to look the other way. He was still mad after all that time. The sad part is that I’d often think of him towards the end of my marriage. I’d think about what could have been – what if? I found myself even lookin’ him up online not too long ago. I found out that he was married and had a couple kids. From the photos I saw, the children looked mixed. I had the nerve to be jealous,” Dallas shrugged. “That could’ve been my husband and my kids.” Dallas became briefly quiet as she reflected. “Jason wanted to marry me. He had already let me know. Candy, if you want to date Gabriel, you do it. Don’t end up wonderin’ like me. You could be missin’ out on a good thing. Jason adored me, but I went back to what was comfortable instead of the one who treated me right. Jason was totally in love with me, and I blew it. Someone else obviously saw his potential and took him up on it. I can sit here and honestly say that if I could rewind time, I would’ve stayed with him.”

  The three ladies sat together, soaking in the information shared. The energy in the room had shifted.

  “You know, him bein’ rich isn’t important,” Candy said as she looked at Jasmine. “If Gabriel had a blue collar job, he’d be just as endearing.”

  “Fuck that! The hell he would!” Jasmine rolled her neck. “You already been there, done that. Stop datin’ men who are beneath you. If it isn’t their career, it’s their upbringin’. I swear, Candy, it’s like you always try to buy the fucked-up toy on the shelf in the kiddie store instead of the one that’s never been played with. If the man has somethin’ going for himself, you don’t want his ass! He has to be all fucked up to get your attention. You like mothafuckin’ projects! Fuck that! I’m not assemblin’ no damn body, and the batteries better be included, too!” Jasmine barked.

  “Like Quentin.” Dallas agreed. “You always want the display model that everyone else has their damn hands on and tore up.”

  “Oh, you too now?” Candy looked at Dallas with disapproval. “I don’t speak to either of you this way, yet I get no respect at all, especially from you, Jasmine!”“I do respect you, Heifa, but I tell the truth. I don’t lie to friends, and I don’t sugarcoat.”
r />   “If I spoke to you the way you speak to me, you’d be done with me.” Candy stood up abruptly and walked into Dallas’s kitchen, opening the refrigerator door.

  “Now, now, Candy. Just because you’re angry doesn’t mean you have to act like that! I’m an equal opportunity insulter!” Jasmine laughed.

  “Fuck you, Jasmine!” Candy said as she pulled out a beer and came back over to the couch. Jasmine burst out laughing.

  “OK, Ladies, simmer down,” Dallas smiled. “Candy, seriously, when you go back to work, have a talk with your boss. If you don’t want to date him, fine, but stop toying with him. It’s obvious the man wants you. Just move forward.” Dallas became reflective as she slumped back into the couch. Candy nodded as she sat back down and propped her feet up across Jasmine’s lap.

  SUPER-BOSS PASTA

  1 mansion with many bedrooms for many sessions

  2 large bowls of bowtie and 3-piece suit pasta

  8 tsp of leather, furs, pearls, and diamonds

  3 cups of silk sheets

  1 tablespoon of “OMG, is his penis pink?” concern

  Combine and stir!

  * * *

  “My game’s improved though,” Ted, the General Manager of Accounting joked as he spoke to Gabriel in the tenth floor break room.

  “I’ll kick your ass on that golf course. Just name the day and time,” Gabriel joked as he made his rounds talking to everyone. This was his usual once-a-month routine. Many of the employees would gasp in amazement to see him sit down and have lunch with them. Some would brown-nose while others would remain wall flowers, simply observing. Since his divorce, some of the younger female employees pushed the envelope with their attire and flirtatious ways. He was Blue Sun’s most eligible bachelor.

  Candy stood in the doorway with her crumpled paper sack. Inside was her chicken salad with almonds, sliced avocado, and a bottle of Blue Mountain water. Gabriel glanced up at her and continued to walk around, tapping various individuals on the shoulder and making small-talk. Candy sat down at one of the tables and slowly laid out her food.