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“You always need a new mixer for your cookie,” Xolani retorted, which drew a laugh from everyone.
The ladies continued chatting while Xolani unpacked the other gifts she’d brought with her. At some point, she left the room to give Camryn his gift. Of course, he was ecstatic. They initiated a temporary ceasefire so he could hug her and gush over her generosity.
Xolani had gifts for her parents and grandmother too. However, she’d been unable to gift them earlier in the day because there were just too many people around. She didn’t want the other guests feeling bad because they hadn’t been remembered. She set aside those gifts so she could drop them off over the weekend.
Afterward, she unpacked her own stuff while chatting up a storm with her girlfriends. It was only when she opened her carry-on that she noticed the unfamiliar phone charger.
Barry. She’d forgotten to give him back his charger. Memories of him flooded in.
The man was fine, fine, fine! The type of fine that no beholder’s eyes could deny. He had short, dark brown hair to match his ever-smiling, dark brown eyes, a jaw that could cut through glass, and lips that evoked thoughts of kissing. Handsome did not even begin to describe him. He was built like an athlete and taller than her, which, given her height, was no small feat.
As if the physical package wasn’t attractive enough, the guy was a good conversationalist too. Theirs had been the best non-business interaction she’d had with a man who wasn’t her relative in ages. And that was saying a lot given that she worked in a male-dominated company.
Xolani had never dated a white man before, but if she were to start, Barry deserved the top spot on her list of prospects.
It was a pity that she hadn’t gotten his number. She flipped the charger around in her hand, hoping that there might be a label with its owner’s contact information. But nope! There was nothing. Barry was gone forever, and all she had to remember him was his charger.
Damn!
3
THREE WEEKS LATER, XOLANI WENT back to work.
“This is a waste of money!” Anika complained as she and Xolani strolled into the multi-storied building that housed their employer, Rayburn Motors. “You should’ve let me brew our coffee at home.”
While sipping on her delicious Caffe Mocha, Xolani said, “Drinking this coffee is our way of being patriots.”
“Patriots?” Anika’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes danced with laughter. “Really?”
Though they’d both been at Rayburn for a while, Xolani and Anika only met three years ago when they worked on the same car. Anika’s team engineered the car while Xolani’s team was behind its marketing. The two ladies had clicked within moments of meeting each other. Eventually, Anika had introduced Xolani to her longtime friend, Justine. Long story short, the three became inseparable.
“How?” Anika asked, “How are we patriots, Xo?”
“We make six figures and have no responsibilities other than ourselves.” Tongue in cheek and while fighting a grin, Xolani added, “It is our patriotic duty to support the hardworking men and women of Starbucks. We’re creating jobs and saving the economy.”
“Seriously?” Anika laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Thank you.” Grinning, Xolani curtsied. “I try my best.”
Xolani had done the whole ‘Yay, I’m back’ dance the previous week. Her division had even thrown her a welcome party. So today, she didn’t have to deal with people stopping her for long chats about her stay in France. She only got a few waves, smiles, and nods as her coworkers rushed off to catch the elevator.
She was just about to swipe her employee card so she could get to the elevator area when a voice called her name. “Xolani?”
She, and Anika who was behind her, swiveled around to see who it was.
“Barry?” she gasped when she saw him. Was that really Barry? The guy she’d met on the airplane?
He looked quite different from what she remembered. On their flight, he’d worn bomber jacket, t-shirt, and sweatpants. The blue suit he was wearing today must’ve been tailored just for him. It caressed his broad shoulders lovingly, and showed off his tall, athletic figure. To complement the suit, he’d added on a white shirt, blue tie, and brown shoes. He looked like he’d walked off the cover of Esquire.
Shocked, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
He seemed just as stunned to see her. “I was about to ask you the same question.”
“I work here,” she said just as an older man behind them loudly cleared his throat as if to tell them to get out of his way.
Quickly, Xolani swiped her card then moved toward the last elevator where there were fewer people. Anika swiped her card too as did Barry. The both came to stand on either side of Xolani.
“I work here too,” Barry said.
