PART TWO CONTINUED

Chapter 5 - No Is Not Acceptable

He didn't start knocking until the sun came up. It was ten minutes before a very disgruntled-looking Lakim came to the door and gestured him inside. He didn't wait to hear what George wanted. He already knew. Jamila had explained it to him over coffee the night before. But his employer had obviously misjudged the redhead, because he'd come back. Jamila had been so sure that he wouldn't.

Lakim showed him into the office and went through the door Jamila had used the day before. He knocked softly on her door, and was a little startled when she invited him in immediately. She was never up this early.

"What is it?"

His dull eyes took in her tearstained cheeks, and her bed, which was still made. Like the man waiting in the office, she was still wearing the clothes from the day before. She hadn't slept. Lakim shook his head. He'd learned early on that hand signals were next to useless. Instead he stepped out of the doorway and held the door open to indicate that she needed to follow. He heard her sigh as she stood.

She followed him back to the office, her eyes fixed on the ground. Would she run when she saw who was waiting for her? Lakim wasn't sure. He'd sat with her for hours the previous night, and listened. But he had come away with no clear picture of how she felt about the situation. He heard her intake of breath when she looked up, and turned quickly to grab her arm. He hadn't even opened the door yet. She pulled, but he shook his head. He was curious to see how she'd react to George today.

He opened the door and pulled her through. The office appeared empty, but she was still agitated. Lakim wondered briefly if the man had left. Then Jamila spoke. "The room's purple, George. I know you're here somewhere." She sounded resigned, and Lakim decided it would be safe to leave her alone. He could hear well enough from outside the door.

When the door fell closed behind him, George straightened up. He'd been hiding behind her high-backed desk chair. He grinned sheepishly. "I wasn't sure you'd want to talk to me."

"I don't," she snapped, wiping the grin from his face. "But we need to discuss this. Your brother blocked my memory of that day, but apparently he didn't erase it entirely. It all came back when I saw you. I want you to erase it again, and never come back here." She spoke harshly, in spite of the lump forming in her throat. Her hand was still on the doorknob, as though she might have to make a hasty exit.

George looked at the floor. "I can't do that," he whispered.

"You can. I watched you knock out Mikal all those years ago, and you were only a child then. Surely you're just as capable as your brother was by now." She kept her eyes focused on the replica artifact she'd placed in her bookshelf all those years ago. She hadn't known then why she was so drawn to the gaudy blue scarab beetle. Now, she wished she'd never placed it there. Still, it was better than looking at George. It was always so difficult to look away from him.

"I can't because I need you to remember me," he said quietly. As she'd been day dreaming, he'd stepped closer.

"Don't do this, George." His hand was covering hers on the knob now. With his other hand, he tilted her face toward his, forcing her to look up into his eyes. He paused a moment to enjoy the fact that he'd grown taller than she had.

"It's been eight years," he whispered emphatically. "I still dream of you. I don't think I can wait another minute."

Jamila looked at him helplessly, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks again. Her dreams came rushing back through her mind, making sense, now that she remembered. And she realized abruptly that she couldn't tell him no. He leaned toward her and she closed her eyes, nearly sobbing when their lips met.

It was a moment that should have lasted forever. But before he could wrap his arms around her, they felt the doorknob turn under their hands and sprang apart just as Lakim's face appeared. He looked furious.

A shout from down the hall took Jamila's attention. A young girl, no more than 9 or 10, was calling for her hysterically, and she rushed off to see what was wrong. George, however, kept his eyes on Lakim, who looked awfully relieved, considering all the screaming. Several other girls could be heard crying as well. George narrowed his eyes before pushing past the hulking figure and following the sounds down the corridor.