Over the Hedge Read online

  "It's practically flown by." She waved at one of the lab techs who was walking through the break room. "But I can't imagine working under that lunatic you're stuck with." She visibly recoiled as if the thought alone made her squeamish.

  I gave an evasive shrug. "Eh. He's not so bad. Once you get the hang of his personality, it's actually an ideal work environment. I get to be involved in more than just pushing papers working with Dr. B. He's allowing me the freedom to apply some of my insights into his research, and he puts my name on papers. Which is pretty rare in this industry, as you know.”

  "Well, because he’s been so grumpy lately, they hired a new lab manager." Jenny brushed off my comment.

  "Oh yeah. Dr. Barnes was just complaining about all the emails he gets that have to do with running the lab. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this new person is good at what they do. Ethan tried his best as an interim manager, but he didn’t have what it took to manage all of those techs and interns."

  "Well, he must have been complaining to the right people because I have never seen anyone get hired so fast at this company. Usually, a new position takes forever to get approved by the higher-ups." Jenny paused to take a bite out of her egg salad. "Tracy was responsible for recruiting someone for the new position, and she said she worked about ten hours overtime trying to find the right candidate," she continued.

  "Aww...I'm sorry she had to work so much, but hopefully this solves some of the problems they've been having back there. Have you met the new manager?"

  "No, not face to face. But, I heard, he's hot. Tall, dark hair, and sexy green eyes." Jenny was grinning and waggling her brows. “One glance at him, and I just knew instantly he is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

  "So what's this mystery guy’s name?" I asked showing very little enthusiasm. With Jenny, every conversation seemed to revolve around a guy; either someone who worked here in the office or some random guy she met out on the street. By all accounts, it was as if she was drowning in attention from the opposite sex.

  "Not a clue. I tried asking Tracy, but you know how she can get. I checked the employee contact page, but new hires haven’t been uploaded yet," Jenny explained. She peered over her shoulder when her cell phone lit up with an incoming text message. One of the lab techs was looking in our direction and she gave him a flirty wink, smoothing her hand through her auburn tresses.

  I was aware of Tracy's feelings toward Jenny. There were more than a few occasions Tracy had stopped by my desk to vent about Jenny's questionable work ethics.

  "How did I miss him at the staff meeting on Monday?" I mused out loud.

  "You were late again, remember? And, he didn't show up to the one on Tuesday because he needed to go to the University Medical Center to get his TB test. Yesterday they had him offsite doing orientation at the business office." She ticked off each day on her finger as she spoke.

  "So, what did he eat for breakfast?" I asked mischievously.

  "What?" Jenny replied, looking very confused.

  "Nothing. It just seems like you know an awful lot about someone who has only been working here for less than a week."

  Jenny plastered a smug look on her face as she stood from the table to pitch the contents of her lunch.

  “The early bird gets the worm. I know that every single woman around here is going to be chomping at the bit when they meet him. I’m doing my legwork now so I’m ahead of the game.” She ran a manicured hand down her slim figure and poked her lips out seductively. “Not that I don't already have a leg up.”

  Her antics made me burst out in laughter. I shook my head and plopped a forkful of salad in my mouth. The prongs poked me on the bottom lip, as I clearly missed the mark of where my mouth was.

  “Girl, see you later. Let me finish this food and get back to work,” I said with a shake of my head.

  The rest of the day went by uneventful. I left the office after seven and walked the block and a half back to the garage. Thanks to the setting sun and cooler temperature; I wasn’t sweating like this morning. My ride home was smooth sailing across the interstate. Windows down, old-school hip-hop streaming through the speakers—I was a sucker for a good beat in a rap song.

  When I got home, I kicked off my shoes and plopped down on the couch. The jingling bells and soft fur against my calves alerted me to my cat’s presence. Fat Bastard was an orange colored tabby with the personality of a Hollywood diva. I had gotten him from a neighbor and it was love at first sight. Never in a million years did I think I would be a cat person. But F.B., as I called him, was the perfect addition to my quiet little world while I was away from family and coworkers.

  Too bad he’d been acting like a prima donna for the last few days.

  Since I started living a healthier lifestyle, I decided to do the same for everyone in the house, and that included F.B. He had gained so much weight since I brought him home with me; it was getting more and more difficult for him to maneuver around the house. The cat was fat in the beginning, but his new weight was just unbelievable. His last visit to the vet came with lots of warnings about the risk factors of feline obesity. He didn’t enjoy the switch to cleaner eating, though.

  As I caressed F.B.'s soft fur he purred in appreciation, and I used my free hand to grab the remote. I turned on the TV and thumbed through the onscreen guide. There was a marathon of Monk episodes on tonight. The show was one of my favorites. A bumbling detective with germaphobia was guaranteed to give me a few laughs.

  "I guess it's just you, me, and Adrian tonight, buddy." I let out a self-deprecating chuckle while stroking his fur.

  Great, Lashawnda, you’re talking to the cat again, I thought.

  A long sigh left my lips. Most days I was content. My life was good, and I had nothing to complain about. Plus, seeing some of the patients that came to the research facility, confirmed I had no reason to do so. These people were battling terminal illnesses and somehow still managed to keep a positive outlook on life. But, I got lonely, sometimes. Recently, it felt like that emotion was lingering around more. I know if something doesn’t change soon, I’m going to end up adopting more cats and becoming a stereotypical cat lady.

  CHAPTER 2

  SEAN

  I couldn’t get the memory of that scent out of my head. It was warm, sultry, alluring. My immediate reaction was to meet the person responsible for enticing my senses with a heated glare. But my brain was all over the place standing in that elevator.

  This morning I was looking through the new hire information on retirement packages, attempting to make a quick decision before dropping off the paperwork. My headphones were loud, blasting an old Green Day track to drown out everything around me. Their album American Idiot was the soundtrack to my life as a college student. Now it was making a resurgence in my playlist during my early morning runs.

  That was hours ago. But that scent was still fresh in my mind as if I had never left the elevator. It had to be a woman. I mean, it must’ve been. All day I was enraptured with the thought of this mystery woman. I would love to know how she looked. Smelling like she did, I just knew she had to be beautiful.

  I silently cursed myself for getting so lost in the unexpected distractions. I was engrossed in reading through the available materials when my phone buzzed, indicating an incoming video message. When I clicked on the message the sound of a woman moaning loudly in my ear almost made me drop everything I was holding. I had to thank God for small favors. If I hadn’t been using my headphones it would’ve seemed as though I was watching porn.

  Ariel? Ivy? Krista?

  Shit, I couldn’t remember the woman’s name.

  But, there she was, sending me a full body shot of her playing between her legs and moaning my name. Toned, milk colored thighs highlighted by the overhead lights in her bedroom were enough to make my mouth water. And, her voice—I was a sucker for a woman with a sexy voice. Too bad I couldn’t remember who she was. The unknown number that appeared on her message didn’t give me any hints to figure it
out other than the number originated outside the state of Florida. Either way, it baffled me she would send me this type of message so early in the morning. I couldn’t remember when she and I crossed paths, but I knew for sure I had to have met her more than a year ago.

  “Yes! Yes!” My best friend, Brent, jumped out of his seat and pounded his chest. “That’s what I’m talking about! Three seconds left on the clock and my boy Mally Mal is bringing that heat!”

  I tipped my head back and nodded in agreement. It was the final seconds of the second quarter of the basketball game. Jamal’s three-pointer was enough to bring his team ahead before the halftime break.

  “Have you heard from him lately?” I asked.

  “Yeah, we’re getting together in a few weeks in South Beach. You should come,” Brent replied.

  Jamal Crockett was a friend of ours from high school that made it to the NBA. It was crazy at times to listen to post-game interviews with a kid we used to pull pranks around the neighborhood with. Now, here we were, grown men each off on our own with different responsibilities. I wasn’t shooting threes like Jamal or constantly meeting famous athletes like Brent, but I loved my life and the work I was doing. Creating innovative oncology drugs was just as important. My job gave me a sense of pride I was doing something positive for humankind.

  It was the start of a new year and a new journey for me. I was recently appointed as head of one of the most elite research labs in the world. I was content in my previous role, but when a recruiter reached out to me about working with Dr. Nathan Barnes, there was no way I could pass up such an opportunity. The man was a legend among biochemists. I’d read his research papers as part of my graduate coursework. I even recreated a few of his lab experiments for fun in grad school. The possibilities of how my career would grow while working with him were endless.

  This new journey wouldn’t have been possible without an unexpected and somewhat unpleasant chain of events.

  Around the holidays last year, I had an epiphany. I was working at a lab in Miami near the university campus. The pay was great, enough that I could afford to purchase a condo in the heart of downtown. The posh luxury living put me within arm’s reach of every major event hosted in the city. Major sporting events, celebrity parties, anything over the top and wild; it was all at just a hop away from my doorstep.

  One night I ran into two women who looked familiar. It was happy hour at a local bar, and the crowd was a mixture between the pre-gaming clubbers and young professionals just leaving the office. Both women were gorgeous as I met their eyes across the room; a full-figured redhead and a petite brunette with a great rack. I kept thinking they looked familiar. Right after the thought crossed my mind, I remembered the redhead—I had slept with her after a costume party that Brent had dragged me to a few months before.

  I lifted my beer to her, acknowledging that I knew her. I’d learned over the years that nothing pissed a woman off more than not remembering her face; especially if you’d spent any length of time between her legs. It was bad enough I was shit when it came to remembering names. Halfway through the night, the two women approached me, both wearing odd expressions. My guard went up immediately.

  After some very uncomfortable exchanges, it turned out I had not only slept with the redhead, but the brunette as well. I could swear on a stack of bibles they were lying. I had zero recollection of the party she described us meeting at. If the brunette hadn’t gotten so angry that she called me an asshole and threw her drink in my face, I would’ve dismissed her story. Women can be a little nuts, but that would be a bit extreme.

  It turned out I slept with her a few weeks prior to that costume party. After a few hours between the sheets, I slipped from her apartment without keeping in touch. I wasn’t planning on playing with her feelings or stringing her along—I thought we were on the same page. It was just a hookup. I thought it was clear to both of us it was just casual. I guess if I would have stuck around long enough, I would have met the redhead, who just happened to be her roommate.

  That incident put me on a whole new journey.

  I gave up having sex as a way to clear my mind. Sure, I felt bad about what happened with those women. But the crux of the problem was I had become emotionless when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. The instant gratification I received only lasted as long as I was actually between a woman’s legs. I was disconnecting from more than their bodies when I pulled out. There was something else there I couldn’t quite put my hands on.

  It'd been a year since I last had sex. A whole year—I honestly didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. I spent so much of my time managing the women I slept with that by the time the sex rolled around, it felt like a hassle. In college, women had a different outlook, so sleeping with them with no strings attached was not a big deal. However, at twenty-seven-years-old, the women I was sleeping with were looking for more than just a physical connection.

  During my year of abstinence, I got a great opportunity to do some pretty cool things in my field. Being named one of Science Magazine’s Young Scientist to Watch was a true honor. I read more. I spent more time with my friends and my family. I traveled around the state by myself doing hiking excursions on the weekends. I even took up bird watching as a hobby. My life was boring to some. Hell, Brent and my other three best friends gave me shit about it every chance they could. But there was nothing like peace of mind.

  The one person who couldn’t be happier that I turned over a new leaf was my mother. The old lady was ready for me to fill her house with screaming grandchildren on the weekends. The thought of starting a family wasn’t something I even considered, before. But having spent the last twelve months finding balance; it didn’t seem so far-fetched.

  “Hey, you ever think about settling down anytime soon?” I asked.

  Brent was tossing a plush basketball in the air. He stopped to give me a confused look. “What do you mean settling down—like marriage and kids?”

  “Yeah. You know we're pretty secure in our careers now, so it just seems right. I mean it's going to take some time of course to find the right woman. Time to actually date, then an engagement. If you find someone now, by the time you guys decide to officially tie the knot we're talking about a good three to four years.” I explained.

  “So… all that means what exactly?” Brent inquired.

  “It means by the time we even think about settling down we're going to be in our thirties,” I explained.

  “And again, what's your point?” Brent's gaze was honest, his confusion blunt and blatantly obvious. I’d been around the guy long enough to know he wasn’t being an asshole. He really didn’t get what the hell I was talking about.

  “I'm just thinking by the time we decide to start having kids we're going to be in our what—mid-thirties?”

  “Okay. So, I guess I'm supposed to have some sort of input about all this, but I honestly don't get where you're coming from. I don't have any plans on settling down anytime soon.” Brent paused and adjusted the cushion behind his head. “Matter of fact, if I don't start having kids until I'm in my 50s that sounds pretty good to me. Having no kids at all sounds fine, too.”

  “Come on man. Are you serious? You don't want to have kids?” I asked.

  “I mean if I have them, then I have them, I guess, but I'm not sitting here planning that shit.” Brent’s brows wrinkled deeper in confusion. “I'm guessing you are actually looking forward to them?”

  “Yeah, I am,” I replied with a grin. “I want to have a family. It's something I've always pictured in my life. And, you know my mom—she can’t wait for me to give her a few grandkids.”

  “Well, how ‘bout you take care of that for the both of us.” Brent started juggling the ball back and forth. “I'll be the cool Uncle Brent when they become teenagers. I'll teach them all the things I should have taught me at that age. Buy them cool gear. Make them eat a ton of candy and get cavities or some shit like that.” His face split into a wide grin. He nodded his head a
s if liking the idea.

  “The thought of you teaching any child of mine something is a scary thought.” I shuddered in mock fright.

  Brent quickly threw up two middle fingers my way and hit me hard with the tiny basketball.

  I waved him off and continued to speak, “I mean look at Jackson. He's got everything all laid out; the wife, the kid on the way, a job that he loves. I want something like that for myself.”

  “Have at it. Jackson’s existence is boring as fuck. All he does is work, go home, and take trips to Disney.” Brent shook his head in disgust. “Life’s too short. I plan on making the most of mine. And that, my friend, involves baggin’ and taggin’ one beautiful woman at a time.”

  I picked up the ball Brent threw at me and closed my eyes. Looking back at the last couple years, things between me and the women I'd spent my free time with had all been fillers. I had yet to meet a woman I found intriguing enough to even consider going beyond a quick fuck.

  Until her.

  The mystery woman that left her intoxicating scent in the elevator. If only I had the chance to be in her presence again. I was looking forward to seeing if her scent matched the image of her I had conjured. My curiosity was more than just piqued.

  CHAPTER 3

  LASHAWNDA

  Bounce that ass up and down to the floor

  Shake that shit till you can't no more

  The sound of Too Shorts’ lyrics blared from the tiny headphones I had stuck in my ears. Nothing made me move and groove like raunchy, booty-shaking music. It reminded me of when my little sister Crystal, and best friend Stacy and I were younger. We used to blast tunes like this around the house while doing chores.

  Every Saturday, my mother tasked us with cleaning our rooms from top to bottom. Linens were washed, dust bunnies were removed from under the beds, and every bit of clean laundry was neatly folded and prepped for the upcoming week. Some weekends I hated being forced to do chores. But as an adult, it had become part of my regular routine. I was pretty sure I’d be making my own kids devote their Saturday mornings to getting all their housework complete.