Part 31: UNFOUNDED ANXIETY
Needless to say the rest of the week was somewhat somber for Sean and Elana. They continued their new routine of lunch and dinner together during the week. In the evenings, Sean would end up at Elana's house where they would go over Crealite business together. Elana, never having seen Sean display his brilliant business sense, was impressed with Sean's ability as a company president. Now as he helped her go over the information she had gathered in the collections department, they both surmised what was going on. Sean did not want to think that someone in the company was embezzling money on top of the problem with the falling stock prices. Elana was sure that someone was taking money from the company's retained earnings, which were usually distributed to stockholders at the end of the year in the form of dividends. But this fiscal year; there would be no dividends to stockholders because of the higher discounts and cash disbursements, which were at this point untraceable.
On Wednesday night of that week, Sean had suggested that he and Elana cook a meal together on Saturday night at her place. Elana had neglected to tell Sean that she was not a good cook and that she had hired someone to cook for her twice a week, so that she could eat the right foods. She felt apprehensive about telling him because who ever heard of a black woman who could not cook. Also, she wanted to impress Sean with something other than her mental abilities, so she agreed and went out the next day to buy a cooking instruction tape to listen to it during the week when she had free time. She had an excellent memory, but hoped, after taking in so much information, that she would not get her facts confused on the night in question. One day, while she was listening to her tapes, James knocked on her office door.
"Hi!"
"Oh, James!" Elana was startled at his appearing there because she had been avoiding him for so long. "How are you? Haven't seen you in a while."
"That's not because of me Elana. You keep telling me that you've been so busy on something that you're stuck on in the collections department. I'm starting to feel neglected."
"There's no need for you to feel like that."
"I can't help it. I'm going through withdrawal not being around you. I need a quick fix. Why don't we go get some lunch together? You can run by me what's going on and maybe I can help."
"Lunch, uh, I can't I'm supposed to go with Sean. We have to discuss these things on a daily basis now. I guess he's anxious for me to finish, so that we won't cost you guys too much money." Elana mused.
"Yeah, I can see how that would be a priority. You two have been going to lunch so much together. Just watch yourself because my boss may have ulterior motives. He has this knock out girlfriend, but I don't see how any man can be around you too long and not be affected." He said eyeing her.
Elana made no response as she began to feel uncomfortable in his presence. James was at her desk now and he noticed the tapes.
"Hum, 'Cooking Made Easy?"
"Oh, I see. Were you planning on inviting me to your place for a home cooked meal?"
Elana did not know what to say. She did not want to flat out say no because then he would plague her with questions and she did not want him finding out about her and Sean mainly for the reasons that Jon had outlined last weekend, so she just smiled.
"Now, Elana, that would be wonderful of you, but you work hard all day and it's my privilege to take you out so that you can relax. I'll tell you what, You can come to my place here in the city and I'll order us a quiet dinner inside. You know that's what you need, so why don't you take a break just one night and let me do this for you?"
"Wow James that sounds nice, but like I said I'm swamped. I can't spare any time and even right now I need to get back to work."
"Elana if I were not any smarter I'd think you were giving me the run around. Have I done something to offend you? I thought I conducted myself properly when we went to Jersey. What is it?"
"James, I - I just think that we should not see each other a lot like we started out. After all, I do work here and I don't want to be viewed as your girlfriend or anything especially at the board meetings. I need people to take me seriously. I know you've told a few people about our weekend and they all had the wrong impression, so I need to step back a little and remove myself from speculation. I hope you understand."
"Yeah, I see what you mean. I'm sorry for opening my big mouth. I was just so excited about us getting closer that I wanted to tell everybody how lucky I was. I did exaggerate and leave a few things out."
"I understand."
"Maybe we can go to the Business Associates Charity Ball at the end of December as friends only. Usually, all the executives are required to attend and I know you've been there for the past couple of years, so it won't look too suspicious if we're together."
"We'll see?"
"So, I guess, I'll be happy when you finish up here, so that we can go beyond the friendship route?"
"Well let's just take this one day at a time." She said walking around her desk to escort him out.
Just before they got to her door, James concluded their conversation "You know I'll be coming around to say hello, but after you're finished here, we're going to celebrate." He said as he reached down to kiss her. Elana shifted her head slightly causing his kiss to land on her lower cheek, by her lips. At that moment Sean walked in.
Upon his entrance, James took his leave and Sean moved out of the way so that he could get by. When he was gone Sean closed the door harder than usual. "What was that all about?"
Elana looked up at his tone. "He was just leaving. I told him that we should not go out anymore because it looks bad."
"Why didn't you just tell him you did not want to see him anymore?"
"I was trying to be discreet Sean. You don't want him to know about us yet do you? I didn't want him asking any unnecessary questions. Either way was just as effective."
"If you had told him you didn't want to see him anymore, he wouldn't have kissed you on your lips."
"Sean, I don't like where this conversation is going."
"I don't like where it started. I walk in here and he's kissing all over you."
"Kissing all over--- Sean he just kissed my cheek. You are not jealous are you?"
Sean paused and realized that he was getting hotter and hotter by the minute as he thought about James putting his lips on Elana's. He thought about it for a minute and realized that she had been turned away from him and that James had actually only kissed her lower cheek. "Yeah, I'm jealous, and I'm sorry for my tone. I don't know what was coming over me." He took both her hands into his own as he continued. "I don't think I'm going to be able to take it very well, seeing other men show you affection even if they're just friends. I know there's nothing I can do about the men who were before me, but now that I have you back, I don't think I'm going to fair too well if I see men coming on to you. I'll have to work on that."
Elana moved in closer to Sean, pressing her body against his. "There wasn't anyone before you Sean."
Not picking up on what she was saying Sean clarified himself. "I meant during the time when we were apart. Anyway, I guess seeing James with you just made me kind of crazy. But that's not what I came in here for."
"I know. It's time for lunch, let me get my jacket and purse." She said as she turned around.
Pulling her back to him, Sean said. "Wait a minute, not so fast. Before we go, I was wondering if you would mind going out with some friends of mine? Do you remember Sam? He and his wife want to get together with us. His wife is anxious to meet you."
"Is she going to be comparing me with Sheridan all night?"
"She definitely won't be comparing you to Sheridan, at least I hope not. The two of them never really got along. You two may have a lot in common because she's in the finance business."
"Is that the same girl Sam mentioned a few times, saying he was trying to find out a way to meet her? Wasn't she going for a finance degree?"
"Yeah. Well he met her and they have three kids now. He's an entertainment lawyer and lives in Orange County, NJ. Niki wants us to come down Saturday after next, so that we all can go out and they can get to know you."
"Why is she so interested in getting to know me?"
"It's been her goal to get me hooked up with the perfect woman, so she takes an interest in these things. When I first brought Sheridan, Niki was pregnant and let's just say ever since then Sam and Niki have still been looking out for me."
"It sounds like that'll be great Sean. It'll be nice to be around some other people, sometimes."
Sean was slightly offended by what she had just said and he pulled her closer to him. "What do you mean it'll be nice to be around other people. You getting' tired of me already?"
"You know that's not what I meant." She said playing with his collar.
"Sean leaned down and kissed her neck as he spoke "What did you mean then, hmm?"
"I meant. That. Um." Elana could not get her thoughts straight as Sean continued to ravage her neck.
"Um, what Elana?" He continued, but by this time she could not say anything and then Sean stopped and looked down at her. "Since you can't answer me, I don't know if I should give you this or not." He had reached into his pocket with one hand and pulled out a small blue box as he still held her with his other arm and presented it to her.
Elana took the box and looked up at Sean wondering what he had gotten her. She opened the box with anticipation and was amazed to see a beautiful set of diamond earrings. They were in an invisible gold setting and consisted of four ascending in size diamonds stacked vertically. The stones shined brilliantly and Elana could see no visible color radiating from them. She stood there stunned, mouth wide open and not able to say anything because she knew they were not an inexpensive gift.
"Aren't you going to try them on?" Sean asked smiling because of her speechless reaction. He let her go allowing her to bask in her own amazement.
Elana put her hand up to her mouth and looked up at him. "Oh Sean these are beautiful!" She said still staring at the diamonds not yet touching them.
Sean just stood there and waited for her initial shock to wear off. He did not know she would be this surprised because he felt she must be accustomed to men giving her expensive gifts, but he was wrong.
"Sean no one ever gave me anything like this. I'm almost scared to touch them."
"They won't break. They'd better not. Go ahead. I want to see them on you."
Elana pulled off her own earrings and slowly removed the diamonds from the box and put them on. Sean looked her over, happy with his choice and Elana walked over to her closet and opened the door to look in the mirror.
"Do you like them?" Sean asked still standing by her desk.
"Do I like them?" She asked then turned around. "Come over here?" She commanded him and he complied. When he came to stand before her she said. "I love them, Sean. They're the most beautiful things I ever had."
"Now I have a hard time believing that. I know some of your uptown boys probably bought you nice gifts in the past."
"No they didn't because I was so busy letting them know I did not need them that most men felt I would be offended if they bought me a blue box, so I missed out."
Sean lifted his hand to the earring and held it in his hand as he spoke "I guess I have a lot of work on my hands then, so that I can supply you with the things you should have by now."
"Sean. You're so sweet!" She said as she turned back around and admired her earrings again in the mirror. After a few minutes Elana turned back around. Sean was still standing there keeping his hands in his pockets. Elana grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands out and then put them around her waist while she placed her hands around his neck and softly kissed his lips. "I love you Sean, thank you, so much." She said looking seductively at him. She then ran her fingers through his hair, knowing that the combination of her words and actions had always driven him crazy.
Sean, knowing what she was doing, was concentrating on not getting too aroused by her. "Come on, I'm gonna take you to the Waldorf for the gourmet lunch buffet."
She sighed, letting him go and turned to get her coat and purse from the closet. Then she started to remove the earrings so that she could put her other ones back on. "O.k. Sean. Let me take these earrings off and lock them up. I'll wear them when we go out someplace really nice."
Sean noticed her disappointment, so he put his hands back in his pockets trying to control himself from grabbing her again and doing something he was not ready for yet. He then tried to talk about anything to keep from thinking about what her body felt like close to him. "Nice coat."
"Yeah, it's ok for this weather. This year I plan to buy myself a mink when it gets colder. I've been putting it off for a few years, but I'm gonna treat myself from the profits we're making this year. Come on, let's go eat, since you're not gonna do anything else." Elana affectionately pushed him back so that she could get by and he just shook his head at her as he followed her out the door.
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Elana worked hard on trying to figure out what was going on in the collections department, but all her leads came to a dead end. Whoever was behind the cash disbursements disappearing was pretty good, so Elana knew it was not some clerical error and that worried her. Over the weekend, Sean did not come by telling her he did not feel well. The truth was he was trying to stay away from her so that he would not slip up. His attraction to her had grown too strong, so he knew he had to pull back a little.
The following week, Elana noticed that Sean did not ask her out to lunch at all. They went out only on Tuesday night and afterwards he took her home. Instead of coming in and spending time with her he would kiss her at the door and leave. They did talk on the phone frequently and Elana intensified her teasing and taunts of Sean accusing him of not being a real man because he was not trying to make any moves on her. At the office she purposely opened her blouses a little more when she had to see Sean and she made sure to sit down across from him with her legs crossed and exposed for his full view. She had done everything but throw herself on Sean, but he still would not make any decisive moves other than to kiss her and even then he would not hold her like she wanted him to. By the end of the week, Elana felt that she was starting to make a fool out of herself, so she left him alone.
That weekend she called Gail somewhat depressed.
"Hi Gail."
"Hey, girl! How's it going? You and Sean got busy yet."
"No, girl. Sean ain't doin' nuthin'. He's been so nice and sweet and those earrings he bought me from Tiffany's appraised at $8,000."
"WHAAAT? $8,000. That's some kind of gift girl. Now why did you have them appraised, you know he ain't gon' get you nothing fake."
"Oh I know that, but I needed to add them to my homeowner's insurance, so I had to have an appraisal. A man's never given me anything like that, so I want to make sure it can be replaced if it gets stolen or lost in a fire or something."
"Well if you had been a little softer and not so brash with the menfolk, you could have gotten a lot more than that."
"I know, but I never needed a man to do those things for me. Anyway once they start putting out good money on you they start thinking they own you and they expect things, so I was not going to let any man feel like he had any control over me like that. But the funny thing is that the man I want to have some control won't take it. I've done everything lest throwing myself at him, but he always gets out of it. He won't even come into the house anymore. When he drops me off he stands in the foyer until I tell him everything is safe then he kisses me and leaves."
"Maybe you should go ahead and throw yourself on him, girl. I don't think he'll push you away, if you just present yourself to him on a silver platter."
"I don't want to make a complete fool of myself and then he runs away or something. I'll really feel rejected then. I don't want to push him too hard. I know he's been thinking about that baby his ex is gonna have."
"I still don't understand that situation. That kye probably got herself pregnant on purpose. How you gonna be with a man two years and all of a sudden get pregnant when things are going bad in the relationship. Girl, she set that thang up! . Just don't let that heffa try and use that baby to move in on Sean again. When she finds out that he's hooked up with you she may get offended and try to prove a point or something. You know how some women can get down right evil sometimes. If she tries that you make sure she knows what her place is. And you better make sure Sean gets a blood test done, because that child may not even be his, especially if he doesn't remember anything. Most men remember sex, drunk or not."
"You're probably right Gail. But I don't know if a blood test will be necessary. They were together two years and I don't think she would cheat on Sean."
"Now Elana, look at the factors here. Don't let that wench fool Sean. Didn't you say he had not been with her for 8 months before that one time? How do you know she wasn't getting it from somewhere else? You also said she's very materialistic, so I'm sure Sean has plenty of money, she may want to secure her claim on part of that with a firstborn child. You need to ask Sean about this stuff and watch Sheridan, because something don't sound right to me about the whole thing."
"I'll make sure to suggest the testing. Next weekend we're going to see Sam and his wife, so I'll try to mention it by then."
"Good, keep me posted. Oh yeah, I'm going to make that dress I told you I was designing next week along with a few others. I want to bring them by probably next weekend or week after next, so you can pick out the ones you want. I have an appointment in Connecticut next Saturday, so maybe I'll come by after that."
"If Max doesn't go with you. I'll go with you."
"Oh, I'd love that girl. I'll let you know."
"O.k. Talk to you soon."
Elana got off the phone and decided to go to bed early. She was tired from working on the problem department at Crealite all day and she was also looking forward to seeing Sean in the morning because she had not seen him since the week before. She did wonder what he was thinking as far as the two of them were concerned. The past few days he was somewhat distant and she did not know why. She wondered if he was starting to rethink their relationship and whether he contemplated getting back with Sheridan to make a family for his child. Sometimes Sean could be hard to read because he was so quiet. Other times he would just pour all of his feelings out for everyone to see. Elana did not know what to think, she even wondered if she were as attractive to him as she was when they were younger. As she fell asleep, she decided not to worry about it and that everything would work out for the best.
Needless to say the rest of the week was somewhat somber for Sean and Elana. They continued their new routine of lunch and dinner together during the week. In the evenings, Sean would end up at Elana's house where they would go over Crealite business together. Elana, never having seen Sean display his brilliant business sense, was impressed with Sean's ability as a company president. Now as he helped her go over the information she had gathered in the collections department, they both surmised what was going on. Sean did not want to think that someone in the company was embezzling money on top of the problem with the falling stock prices. Elana was sure that someone was taking money from the company's retained earnings, which were usually distributed to stockholders at the end of the year in the form of dividends. But this fiscal year; there would be no dividends to stockholders because of the higher discounts and cash disbursements, which were at this point untraceable.
On Wednesday night of that week, Sean had suggested that he and Elana cook a meal together on Saturday night at her place. Elana had neglected to tell Sean that she was not a good cook and that she had hired someone to cook for her twice a week, so that she could eat the right foods. She felt apprehensive about telling him because who ever heard of a black woman who could not cook. Also, she wanted to impress Sean with something other than her mental abilities, so she agreed and went out the next day to buy a cooking instruction tape to listen to it during the week when she had free time. She had an excellent memory, but hoped, after taking in so much information, that she would not get her facts confused on the night in question. One day, while she was listening to her tapes, James knocked on her office door.
"Hi!"
"Oh, James!" Elana was startled at his appearing there because she had been avoiding him for so long. "How are you? Haven't seen you in a while."
"That's not because of me Elana. You keep telling me that you've been so busy on something that you're stuck on in the collections department. I'm starting to feel neglected."
"There's no need for you to feel like that."
"I can't help it. I'm going through withdrawal not being around you. I need a quick fix. Why don't we go get some lunch together? You can run by me what's going on and maybe I can help."
"Lunch, uh, I can't I'm supposed to go with Sean. We have to discuss these things on a daily basis now. I guess he's anxious for me to finish, so that we won't cost you guys too much money." Elana mused.
"Yeah, I can see how that would be a priority. You two have been going to lunch so much together. Just watch yourself because my boss may have ulterior motives. He has this knock out girlfriend, but I don't see how any man can be around you too long and not be affected." He said eyeing her.
Elana made no response as she began to feel uncomfortable in his presence. James was at her desk now and he noticed the tapes.
"Hum, 'Cooking Made Easy?"
"Oh, I see. Were you planning on inviting me to your place for a home cooked meal?"
Elana did not know what to say. She did not want to flat out say no because then he would plague her with questions and she did not want him finding out about her and Sean mainly for the reasons that Jon had outlined last weekend, so she just smiled.
"Now, Elana, that would be wonderful of you, but you work hard all day and it's my privilege to take you out so that you can relax. I'll tell you what, You can come to my place here in the city and I'll order us a quiet dinner inside. You know that's what you need, so why don't you take a break just one night and let me do this for you?"
"Wow James that sounds nice, but like I said I'm swamped. I can't spare any time and even right now I need to get back to work."
"Elana if I were not any smarter I'd think you were giving me the run around. Have I done something to offend you? I thought I conducted myself properly when we went to Jersey. What is it?"
"James, I - I just think that we should not see each other a lot like we started out. After all, I do work here and I don't want to be viewed as your girlfriend or anything especially at the board meetings. I need people to take me seriously. I know you've told a few people about our weekend and they all had the wrong impression, so I need to step back a little and remove myself from speculation. I hope you understand."
"Yeah, I see what you mean. I'm sorry for opening my big mouth. I was just so excited about us getting closer that I wanted to tell everybody how lucky I was. I did exaggerate and leave a few things out."
"I understand."
"Maybe we can go to the Business Associates Charity Ball at the end of December as friends only. Usually, all the executives are required to attend and I know you've been there for the past couple of years, so it won't look too suspicious if we're together."
"We'll see?"
"So, I guess, I'll be happy when you finish up here, so that we can go beyond the friendship route?"
"Well let's just take this one day at a time." She said walking around her desk to escort him out.
Just before they got to her door, James concluded their conversation "You know I'll be coming around to say hello, but after you're finished here, we're going to celebrate." He said as he reached down to kiss her. Elana shifted her head slightly causing his kiss to land on her lower cheek, by her lips. At that moment Sean walked in.
Upon his entrance, James took his leave and Sean moved out of the way so that he could get by. When he was gone Sean closed the door harder than usual. "What was that all about?"
Elana looked up at his tone. "He was just leaving. I told him that we should not go out anymore because it looks bad."
"Why didn't you just tell him you did not want to see him anymore?"
"I was trying to be discreet Sean. You don't want him to know about us yet do you? I didn't want him asking any unnecessary questions. Either way was just as effective."
"If you had told him you didn't want to see him anymore, he wouldn't have kissed you on your lips."
"Sean, I don't like where this conversation is going."
"I don't like where it started. I walk in here and he's kissing all over you."
"Kissing all over--- Sean he just kissed my cheek. You are not jealous are you?"
Sean paused and realized that he was getting hotter and hotter by the minute as he thought about James putting his lips on Elana's. He thought about it for a minute and realized that she had been turned away from him and that James had actually only kissed her lower cheek. "Yeah, I'm jealous, and I'm sorry for my tone. I don't know what was coming over me." He took both her hands into his own as he continued. "I don't think I'm going to be able to take it very well, seeing other men show you affection even if they're just friends. I know there's nothing I can do about the men who were before me, but now that I have you back, I don't think I'm going to fair too well if I see men coming on to you. I'll have to work on that."
Elana moved in closer to Sean, pressing her body against his. "There wasn't anyone before you Sean."
Not picking up on what she was saying Sean clarified himself. "I meant during the time when we were apart. Anyway, I guess seeing James with you just made me kind of crazy. But that's not what I came in here for."
"I know. It's time for lunch, let me get my jacket and purse." She said as she turned around.
Pulling her back to him, Sean said. "Wait a minute, not so fast. Before we go, I was wondering if you would mind going out with some friends of mine? Do you remember Sam? He and his wife want to get together with us. His wife is anxious to meet you."
"Is she going to be comparing me with Sheridan all night?"
"She definitely won't be comparing you to Sheridan, at least I hope not. The two of them never really got along. You two may have a lot in common because she's in the finance business."
"Is that the same girl Sam mentioned a few times, saying he was trying to find out a way to meet her? Wasn't she going for a finance degree?"
"Yeah. Well he met her and they have three kids now. He's an entertainment lawyer and lives in Orange County, NJ. Niki wants us to come down Saturday after next, so that we all can go out and they can get to know you."
"Why is she so interested in getting to know me?"
"It's been her goal to get me hooked up with the perfect woman, so she takes an interest in these things. When I first brought Sheridan, Niki was pregnant and let's just say ever since then Sam and Niki have still been looking out for me."
"It sounds like that'll be great Sean. It'll be nice to be around some other people, sometimes."
Sean was slightly offended by what she had just said and he pulled her closer to him. "What do you mean it'll be nice to be around other people. You getting' tired of me already?"
"You know that's not what I meant." She said playing with his collar.
"Sean leaned down and kissed her neck as he spoke "What did you mean then, hmm?"
"I meant. That. Um." Elana could not get her thoughts straight as Sean continued to ravage her neck.
"Um, what Elana?" He continued, but by this time she could not say anything and then Sean stopped and looked down at her. "Since you can't answer me, I don't know if I should give you this or not." He had reached into his pocket with one hand and pulled out a small blue box as he still held her with his other arm and presented it to her.
Elana took the box and looked up at Sean wondering what he had gotten her. She opened the box with anticipation and was amazed to see a beautiful set of diamond earrings. They were in an invisible gold setting and consisted of four ascending in size diamonds stacked vertically. The stones shined brilliantly and Elana could see no visible color radiating from them. She stood there stunned, mouth wide open and not able to say anything because she knew they were not an inexpensive gift.
"Aren't you going to try them on?" Sean asked smiling because of her speechless reaction. He let her go allowing her to bask in her own amazement.
Elana put her hand up to her mouth and looked up at him. "Oh Sean these are beautiful!" She said still staring at the diamonds not yet touching them.
Sean just stood there and waited for her initial shock to wear off. He did not know she would be this surprised because he felt she must be accustomed to men giving her expensive gifts, but he was wrong.
"Sean no one ever gave me anything like this. I'm almost scared to touch them."
"They won't break. They'd better not. Go ahead. I want to see them on you."
Elana pulled off her own earrings and slowly removed the diamonds from the box and put them on. Sean looked her over, happy with his choice and Elana walked over to her closet and opened the door to look in the mirror.
"Do you like them?" Sean asked still standing by her desk.
"Do I like them?" She asked then turned around. "Come over here?" She commanded him and he complied. When he came to stand before her she said. "I love them, Sean. They're the most beautiful things I ever had."
"Now I have a hard time believing that. I know some of your uptown boys probably bought you nice gifts in the past."
"No they didn't because I was so busy letting them know I did not need them that most men felt I would be offended if they bought me a blue box, so I missed out."
Sean lifted his hand to the earring and held it in his hand as he spoke "I guess I have a lot of work on my hands then, so that I can supply you with the things you should have by now."
"Sean. You're so sweet!" She said as she turned back around and admired her earrings again in the mirror. After a few minutes Elana turned back around. Sean was still standing there keeping his hands in his pockets. Elana grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands out and then put them around her waist while she placed her hands around his neck and softly kissed his lips. "I love you Sean, thank you, so much." She said looking seductively at him. She then ran her fingers through his hair, knowing that the combination of her words and actions had always driven him crazy.
Sean, knowing what she was doing, was concentrating on not getting too aroused by her. "Come on, I'm gonna take you to the Waldorf for the gourmet lunch buffet."
She sighed, letting him go and turned to get her coat and purse from the closet. Then she started to remove the earrings so that she could put her other ones back on. "O.k. Sean. Let me take these earrings off and lock them up. I'll wear them when we go out someplace really nice."
Sean noticed her disappointment, so he put his hands back in his pockets trying to control himself from grabbing her again and doing something he was not ready for yet. He then tried to talk about anything to keep from thinking about what her body felt like close to him. "Nice coat."
"Yeah, it's ok for this weather. This year I plan to buy myself a mink when it gets colder. I've been putting it off for a few years, but I'm gonna treat myself from the profits we're making this year. Come on, let's go eat, since you're not gonna do anything else." Elana affectionately pushed him back so that she could get by and he just shook his head at her as he followed her out the door.
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. Elana worked hard on trying to figure out what was going on in the collections department, but all her leads came to a dead end. Whoever was behind the cash disbursements disappearing was pretty good, so Elana knew it was not some clerical error and that worried her. Over the weekend, Sean did not come by telling her he did not feel well. The truth was he was trying to stay away from her so that he would not slip up. His attraction to her had grown too strong, so he knew he had to pull back a little.
The following week, Elana noticed that Sean did not ask her out to lunch at all. They went out only on Tuesday night and afterwards he took her home. Instead of coming in and spending time with her he would kiss her at the door and leave. They did talk on the phone frequently and Elana intensified her teasing and taunts of Sean accusing him of not being a real man because he was not trying to make any moves on her. At the office she purposely opened her blouses a little more when she had to see Sean and she made sure to sit down across from him with her legs crossed and exposed for his full view. She had done everything but throw herself on Sean, but he still would not make any decisive moves other than to kiss her and even then he would not hold her like she wanted him to. By the end of the week, Elana felt that she was starting to make a fool out of herself, so she left him alone.
That weekend she called Gail somewhat depressed.
"Hi Gail."
"Hey, girl! How's it going? You and Sean got busy yet."
"No, girl. Sean ain't doin' nuthin'. He's been so nice and sweet and those earrings he bought me from Tiffany's appraised at $8,000."
"WHAAAT? $8,000. That's some kind of gift girl. Now why did you have them appraised, you know he ain't gon' get you nothing fake."
"Oh I know that, but I needed to add them to my homeowner's insurance, so I had to have an appraisal. A man's never given me anything like that, so I want to make sure it can be replaced if it gets stolen or lost in a fire or something."
"Well if you had been a little softer and not so brash with the menfolk, you could have gotten a lot more than that."
"I know, but I never needed a man to do those things for me. Anyway once they start putting out good money on you they start thinking they own you and they expect things, so I was not going to let any man feel like he had any control over me like that. But the funny thing is that the man I want to have some control won't take it. I've done everything lest throwing myself at him, but he always gets out of it. He won't even come into the house anymore. When he drops me off he stands in the foyer until I tell him everything is safe then he kisses me and leaves."
"Maybe you should go ahead and throw yourself on him, girl. I don't think he'll push you away, if you just present yourself to him on a silver platter."
"I don't want to make a complete fool of myself and then he runs away or something. I'll really feel rejected then. I don't want to push him too hard. I know he's been thinking about that baby his ex is gonna have."
"I still don't understand that situation. That kye probably got herself pregnant on purpose. How you gonna be with a man two years and all of a sudden get pregnant when things are going bad in the relationship. Girl, she set that thang up! . Just don't let that heffa try and use that baby to move in on Sean again. When she finds out that he's hooked up with you she may get offended and try to prove a point or something. You know how some women can get down right evil sometimes. If she tries that you make sure she knows what her place is. And you better make sure Sean gets a blood test done, because that child may not even be his, especially if he doesn't remember anything. Most men remember sex, drunk or not."
"You're probably right Gail. But I don't know if a blood test will be necessary. They were together two years and I don't think she would cheat on Sean."
"Now Elana, look at the factors here. Don't let that wench fool Sean. Didn't you say he had not been with her for 8 months before that one time? How do you know she wasn't getting it from somewhere else? You also said she's very materialistic, so I'm sure Sean has plenty of money, she may want to secure her claim on part of that with a firstborn child. You need to ask Sean about this stuff and watch Sheridan, because something don't sound right to me about the whole thing."
"I'll make sure to suggest the testing. Next weekend we're going to see Sam and his wife, so I'll try to mention it by then."
"Good, keep me posted. Oh yeah, I'm going to make that dress I told you I was designing next week along with a few others. I want to bring them by probably next weekend or week after next, so you can pick out the ones you want. I have an appointment in Connecticut next Saturday, so maybe I'll come by after that."
"If Max doesn't go with you. I'll go with you."
"Oh, I'd love that girl. I'll let you know."
"O.k. Talk to you soon."
Elana got off the phone and decided to go to bed early. She was tired from working on the problem department at Crealite all day and she was also looking forward to seeing Sean in the morning because she had not seen him since the week before. She did wonder what he was thinking as far as the two of them were concerned. The past few days he was somewhat distant and she did not know why. She wondered if he was starting to rethink their relationship and whether he contemplated getting back with Sheridan to make a family for his child. Sometimes Sean could be hard to read because he was so quiet. Other times he would just pour all of his feelings out for everyone to see. Elana did not know what to think, she even wondered if she were as attractive to him as she was when they were younger. As she fell asleep, she decided not to worry about it and that everything would work out for the best.