The Secrets of Their Souls (18 page)

To: Zahra Foster

From: Jemma Foster

Subject: Yo, wat up sis?

Za Za,

You’ll be pleased to know that my desk is sparkling clean and for your information, although unrequired, I was late because I left the office at 2:00am. Precisely the time your boyfriend decided to exit. He insisted on dropping me home… he’s a smooth operator that one… I’m still trying to determine his flaws. He must be a closet serial killer because he seems too good to be true!

Oh and I had to move my appointment to next week. I hope that’s OK, let me know if it doesn’t work and I can reschedule it

Love ya x

Zahra was surprised that Jayce hadn’t mentioned dropping Jemma home.
It must have slipped his mind
, she decided, since he had a lot on his plate at the moment. Regardless, she sent him a quick message to thank him and then replied to Jemma’s email:

To: Jemma Foster

From: Zahra Foster

Subject: Re: Yo, wat up sis?

Jem

Your prolific imagination is impressive.

He has flaws, I’m sure, I’ll let you know what they are when I work them out.

Next week is fine, just let me know the time. Love you too X

Jayce Tohmatsu: Are you awake?

Zahra smiled, reading his message. She was awake and watching the end of
Romeo & Juliet.

Zahra Foster: I am. What are you doing?

Jayce Tohmatsu: I’m at Mason. Can I see you tonight? I might be late though

Zahra looked across at her bedside table, noticing that it was nearly midnight.

Zahra Foster: I want to see you too. It doesn’t matter, come over whenever you’re done. I’ll leave a key with George. He will be on until 3am

Jayce Tohmatsu: Thanks. I’ll see you in a few hours. xo

Zahra retrieved her spare key from her study and delivered it to George. She kept the conversation friendly but short and returned to her apartment. Zahra put her phone on the bedside table and undressed, wanting to be naked for him when he arrived, and got back into bed just in time to see
Romeo and Juliet
’s tragic ending.

The bed was cold. And empty. Zahra looked at her clock, confused. Where was Jayce? Zahra lay still, barely breathing, her ears tuning into her silent apartment. Nothing.
Had he not come over after all?
She rolled back the duvet with the craftsmanship of a bank robber—not a single sound could be heard. From the hallway she could see a gleaming light and she walked toward it, high on the balls of her feet. She stopped at the corner and peered around. He stood at the window with his arms crossed over his naked chest, staring at the colored lights beyond. Zahra continued to watch, suddenly not sure how to end the awkward stalking session. She needn’t have been concerned—he turned his head to look at her, both surprised and amused. “A naked peeping Tom… This is a first.”

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He walked toward her, cupping her face in his hands as he kissed her forehead. “Thinking about work, as always,” he said with a sigh. “I tried to sleep but I gave up after half an hour. Did I wake you?”

“No.” She wrapped her arms around him, drawing him closer. She kissed his warm chest; it was disappointing that he had pajama pants on. “Tea?”

“English Breakfast, please,” he said with a nod. “Are you going to make tea naked?”

“I was going to put a top on while it boiled,” Zahra said, filling the teapot and turning it on.

Jayce shook his head, a devious smile lighting up his face. “Not necessary.”

“What if the water splashes and burns me? I think I need a top.”

“Just be careful and you’ll be fine. I think you should stay just as you are,” Jayce said, grinning broadly.

Zahra scoffed. “Yeah, of course you do.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly that, Tohmatsu.”

She walked toward him en route to her bedroom, but he blocked her. She moved again, he blocked her again. She was trapped between the kitchen cabinets and the island. Keeping her eyes on him, she mentally assessed her options. She backed up to the end of the island; he didn’t move but the goading smile on his lips encouraged her. She walked around the island, and toward him, fooling him. She wasn’t headed for her bedroom; she had a clean top in her gym bag, which was stored on the glass shelf of her entry console. When she stood not four feet from him, she darted for the bag and hurriedly pulled the top out, but he tackled her to the floor.

“Damn!” She laughed, struggling to breathe under his weight.

Jayce pinned her in position. “It was a good effort.” He paused. “But as I said, not necessary.” He tossed the top aside and it landed in a crumbled mess in the corner. Jayce pushed her breasts together and licked her cleavage. “You should thank God every day for these tits,” Jayce said and Zahra giggled. “I’m serious, they’re full and supple and perfect. And I want to look at them while you make me tea,” he said with a sexy smirk. “I think the kettle’s nearly done, baby.” Jayce stood up and held out his hand, helping Zahra up. He gestured for her to go ahead and Zahra felt her cheeks turn warm. When she looked back over her shoulder, Jayce smiled and mouthed,
‘Nice’
. Her breasts weren’t her only body part he appreciated.

Zahra poured the tea and then sat next to him at the dining table. His computer was on, the Mason email program center on the screen. “Thank you,” he said.

“Tea doesn’t keep you up?”

“My mind keeps me up.” He looked at his computer. “Do you want to see the place at Hunter Mountain?”

Zahra nodded excitedly and leaned over to get a better view. Jayce located the bookmark and then enlarged the images, clicking one after the other. Zahra sat in disbelief: it was a house of dreams. “Jayce, it’s amazing. How did you find this place?”

“It’s called Google.”

“Of course it is—Google runs the world. How long can we stay?” Zahra asked.

“We can leave late Friday night or early Saturday morning, and come back late Sunday night.”

She could barely comprehend it: an entire, uninterrupted weekend with Jayce. It was a miracle, a gift from the universe. “Well, let’s hurry up and get Church Street sold, then, right?”

“I’m pushing them every day.” Jayce sighed.

Zahra smiled, knowing that was true. “Thank you, Jayce, for organizing this, for taking the time for us.”

“You don’t need to thank me, I want to do this for you.” He curled a long strand of her hair around his finger. “I feel bad that I barely see you.”

“It’s not a problem, Jayce. It’s not like I’m sitting at home waiting around for you. I’m at Mason too, just a few floors below.”

Jayce smiled. “I know and I love that. We would be good partners, Zahra. I think together we could do anything.”

Zahra hid the sadness from her eyes—they had been partners once. “What are you saying?”

He shrugged his shoulders, looking down at his computer. He seemed different tonight, softer. He looked back at her. “I just feel like we’re so good together and, apart from my schedule, thing seem so easy. I’m not sure if I’ve ever told you, but my father is Buddhist and he believes in past lives. He told me that when he met my mother, he was sure that they had been together before, in another lifetime, because he felt like he’d known her forever. I feel the same way about you. I think we can have a great life together, running businesses and living around the world. We could have a family,
one day
,” he said, raising his eyebrows, “if that’s what you want. I don’t feel like there is anything that could come between us, nothing that we couldn’t overcome together.”

Zahra looked down, unable to look into his eyes. She wanted to tell him about her dreams so that there weren’t any secrets between them, but she was terrified of losing him if he didn’t believe her.

Jayce took her hand and squeezed it and she looked back up at him. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t tell him.
He might be open to the concept of past lives, but he isn’t prepared for our past, he isn’t prepared for Raven—no one could be
, Zahra thought. She took a deep breath and smiled. “I feel exactly the same way. You’re a wonderful man, Jayce Tohmatsu, and I would be lucky to have you.” She kissed his lips, a kiss loaded with anguish and shame. As hard as she tried, she could not keep her past from her future.

“You should go back to bed and get some sleep,” Jayce said. “I’ll just finish up a few things and then I’ll join you.”

Zahra homed in on the red light, willing the waffle maker to hurry up. She was making her mom’s famous recipe, and the wafting aroma told her she was doing a good job. She wouldn’t normally go to such lengths for a workday breakfast, but Jayce was going into the office late—well, late for him—so they had a few extra minutes to eat together.

Green light.

She opened the appliance and used her index finger to gently lift the waffle out, flicking it ever so carefully.

“You’re going to burn yourself,” Jayce said as he pulled her hand away from the waffle iron and handed her a wooden spatula from the utensil jar on her countertop. He was fresh out of the shower and smelled delicious, even better than her waffles. He ran his hand up her silk robe, enjoying her naked body beneath. “This is how we should wake up every morning: sex, shower, waffles.”

Zahra took his hand out of her robe and up to her lips. “And then more sex?”

He laughed. “I wish, I would stay in bed and fuck you all day if I could.” He pulled down on her ponytail, yanking her head backward and kissed her. “Go and shower while I finish breakfast.”

She shook her head. “I’ll shower when you leave. I don’t need to go so in early.”

He nodded his head and tapped her ass before he walked to the refrigerator and poured them both a glass of orange juice.

The mood between them had been odd last night, but sex seemed to have broken the tension. Jayce appeared fine this morning and back to his usual self.

Standing behind her, he most certainly was himself—his hands roaming her body and groping her in inappropriate places. He insisted that he was helping her cook but in reality he was just one huge distraction.

When the last two waffles were done, they sat down to enjoy a rare and precious morning together. The sash of Zahra’s robe loosened as she ate but she didn’t tighten it, instead choosing to give Jayce a morning peep show. His mouth said nothing but his eyes said everything: he loved it, and so did she.

They shared a special connection—one that was so magnetic and enthralling that Zahra wondered if that was what love is? Or was it just a wild confluence of lust that ruled her heart and mind? Zahra had never felt like this before, but she still wasn’t sure if it was love. But one thing she did know for sure was that her waffles were damn good. She took another bite, not wanting the experience to end. Next time she would double the recipe. Jayce had finished his plate and was drinking the last of his juice when he checked his watch—always a bad sign.

“Time to go?” she asked.

He nodded his head and then stood to rinse his plate and load it into the dishwasher. He walked back to Zahra and sat down, straddling her lap.

“Hey!”

He ignored her and kissed her instead. “Mm, you taste so good,” he said as he ran his fingers between her breasts, opening her robe farther. “Thank you for this morning, it was perfect.”

She squeezed his ass and held him in place, not wanting him to go. There was a meeting at Church Street that evening, so she would see him again in a few hours, but she wanted him alone where they didn’t have to hide their feelings and their relationship.

“I’ll see you tonight. And then this weekend.”

She nodded her head, smiling, and gave his ass one more squeeze before he stood up. She followed him to the door. Her robe had come free now, completely exposing her naked body and he stood by the elevator, watching her as she watched him. “You’d better hope your neighbor doesn’t open her door right now.”

Zahra smiled sweetly but still didn’t move. The elevator arrived and he continued to look at her as the doors closed, the look on his face pure sex.

Once he had disappeared from sight, she quickly closed the door—knowing her luck, her neighbor would come out of her apartment to see her frolicking naked in the hallway. Aroused and aching for more, Zahra headed straight for the shower—to wash and to finish what they hadn’t had time to do.

7:35 a.m.

Zahra slipped on her patent nude heels and turned off the lights. She picked up her set of keys from the console and dropped them into her handbag.
Oh, shit
, she thought,
the key
. She checked the console table, the kitchen bench and her bedside table—it was nowhere to be found.
Jayce must still have it
, she concluded. Should she ask for the key back? Zahra thought it over as she walked to work, assessing the options. Giving a key to a boyfriend was a first for her, but Jayce was different. If he had a key, it would certainly make things easier given the hours he worked. She did want to make sure he had it, though, since the idea of a lost key gave her major anxiety. She was playing out the conversation in her mind, strategizing the best way to ask him if he had it, when her phone rang.

“Miss me already?” she asked, smiling as she stopped at the traffic light.

“I can’t stop thinking of you in that robe. That wasn’t fair, Zahra,” Jayce said.

“Life isn’t fair, Jayce.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” He paused. “Anyway, I’ve just realized I still have your key. It was in the back pocket of my pants. I’ll send it down to you today before you leave.”

Life sure has a funny way of working out
, Zahra thought. “It’s fine, it’s my spare. You can keep it… if you want it.”

He did want it, and he promised more late night visits with breakfast rendezvous’ included.
It was a good deal
, she thought,
a very good deal
.