Page 23 of Forever Mine

Sorry, I went back to the job I was working on.

On a Sunday morning?

Yeah, we computer nerds never give it a rest.

Like they say, there’s no rest for the wicked.

Chuckling, I added a grinning emoji. The bobbing ellipses let me know he was typing. I glanced up at Mom and Angel again as I waited.

Your mom and your daughter? I see where u got your looks.

Yeah, people say we look alike. Until they see pics of me with my dad.

Your kid is cute too. What’s her name?

Angelica. Angel, for short.

Nice. You have to take me to the beach when I’m there.

Yeah, we need to talk about that next week along with the other stuff.

You don’t drop a catch, Ms. Exec.

Nope. That’s why we’re the top studio on the island.

And you’re proud too.

You bet! We do good work.

I’m sure.

I sent him another laughing emoji, and waited while he typed another message.

You’ve killed my mood for work. Here I am laboring over graphics and you’re having a good time at the beach.

Poor baby. I’m adding that beach trip to the list of things you must do when you get here. Maybe even two visits.

I’m holding you to that.

I keep my promises.

Def will see that you do. That week at the seminar put me way behind, so we’ll talk later, baby girl.

I squinted at the screen. More specifically, at his term of endearment and wondering where it came from. The tone of it was casual, anyway, so I wouldn’t put more thought into it than necessary. But, I got a delicious zing from being in his company. I hadn’t felt this way in years and it was a refreshing change.

My mind wandered to my ex-husband, Nolan. My marriage wasn’t a disaster from the get-go, but Nolan and I were too different to make things work. He was forty to my twenty-five when we married and already set in his ways. I met him on a trip to Miami and after the proverbial whirlwind romance, I agreed to be his wife.

I’d looked up to him for his experience and perhaps because, in hindsight, I was looking for a father figure. My father died when I was eighteen and I’d missed him more than I cared to remember. Over the years we were together, Nolan grew more controlling and when I’d had enough of being stifled, I opted out of our marriage.

Rita also stood by me when I first came back to Jamaica and needed to find a job. We’d met years before at my first job and now she worked at a placement agency. Thanks to her, I’d landed a position with a pharmaceutical company. The work paid the bills, but I didn’t see myself spending the rest of my working life collating orders for doctors’ offices, hospitals, and pharmacies.

When Primrose advertised the position in her start up, I’d leaped at the opportunity. On meeting, we liked each other and eventually worked well together. Being away from Angel when I traveled was the only hitch in an otherwise great position.

Having Scott training our animation team was an exciting venture. He was highly rated and our guys would appreciate learning from him. I didn’t want to seem overeager to tie Scott down, but also wouldn’t let him get out of working with our guys while he was here.

On a personal level, it would be great to have Scott on the island. I breathed in deep, remembering his manly scent. My thumbs drifted gently over my fingers as if they, too, had memorized the texture of his hair. Thick and yet silky. Eyes closed, I sucked in another deep breath and let the sensation of dancing with him filter through my body.

I couldn’t wait to see Scott again.