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For so long work and women had been Tazeem’s life. With his grandfather and son dead, and Chess out of his life, he’d lived like a man who had no family and no responsibilities other than himself. Because no one depended on him or nagged him to do better with his life, he’d chased money and women to his fill.
It was the perfect life, he thought. Many men would kill to be in his shoes.
Yet with one strike, Chess had wrecked that perfect life.
Anyone else would’ve been angry that she’d snatched his freedom away in just one day. But all Tazeem felt was the pain of being forced to live alone for eight years when all this time he could’ve had a family. Did she really hate him that much?
Something creaked behind Tazeem, and just as he turned in his swivel chair, the lights came on. The brilliant overhead glare temporarily blinded him. But when his eyes finally adjusted to the sudden brightness, he saw his friend and coworker, Ren, standing at the door. The moment Ren saw Tazeem, he gasped swiftly and took a step back. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting to find anyone in Tazeem’s office.
“Jesus, dude! You scared me.” The tall, muscular, white man drew a shaky breath. “What are you still doing here?”
“Hanging.” Tazeem absentmindedly noted that his friend was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which likely meant that he’d just come back from home wherehisfamily was. Turning his chair so he could go back to facing the window, Tazeem asked, “What areyoudoing here?”
“I forgot Lucy’s anniversary gift,” Ren said while walking to the partitioned extension that Tazeem used as a nap-room.
Tazeem didn’t bother asking why Lucy’s gift was in his office. Lucy had been known to pop in unexpectedly at Le Stride just so she could snoop in Ren’s office.
A few weeks ago – hell, even a few days ago, Tazeem would’ve teased Ren for dating a woman who insisted on celebrating their six-month anniversary. He would’ve torn into Ren for being so pussy-whipped that he still hadn’t broken up with someone who was so clingy that she’d even invaded his office space.
If Tazeem were himself, he would’ve bragged about having the ideal life and advised Ren to free himself before he got completely entangled in Lucy’s trap. But today, he couldn’t summon the words. He just leaned back in his seat and kept staring out the window as he waited for Ren to leave his office and him to his thoughts.
A few minutes later, he heard Ren cross the room then the door closed. He sighed as he realized that he was alone again.
“What’s up?” Ren spoke behind him.
Tazeem was so startled that he instinctively turned his seat to see his friend standing right across from him while holding a wrapped box. “I thought you’d left.”
“With you acting like your dog died? I don’t think so.” Ren set the box on the desk and then settled on the seat across from Tazeem. “What’s going on with you?”
Tazeem didn’t say anything. He didn’t feel like talking about his problems right now. Talking made things real, and he didn’t need things getting more real than they already were.
But it wasn’t enough to dissuade his friend.
“You’ve been acting strange since you came from Synovent,” Ren noted. “Did Chess shoot you down again?”
Tazeem snapped, “Don’t ever mention that woman’s name to me again.”
The curtness in Tazeem’s tone was enough to make Ren blink. “Okay, so this is about her. What did she do?”
Again, Tazeem was silent. But soon his anger bubbled up his body, and before he could help himself, he blurted, “She kept my son from me.”
Ren frowned in confusion. “I thought you two lost your son.”
“That’s what I thought too. And guess what?” Tazeem scowled fiercely. “I was wrong. She lied. We didn’t lose our son. He’s been alive all this time.”
Ren’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking, right?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“You’re joking,” Ren insisted, disbelief marring his whole expression and his voice practically a whisper.
Tazeem’s only response was a shaky exhale to release some of the fury simmering within him.
“Man, that’s harsh. Wow!” Ren repeatedly rubbed his mouth with his palm. “That’s cold.”
Cold was an understatement for what Chess had done.
“So she’s been raising you kid all this time and you didn’t even know?” Ren summarized the situation.
