Rekindling Old Flames

Standing up from my chair and walking to the window with a cup of coffee, I look out and take in the scene before me. Many cars are trying to beat traffic and make it to work in the city of Austin. A crowd of people swarms the sidewalk heading towards the various buildings in the center of the city. I take a deep breath as the morning sun shines on my face. A ring sounds, snapping me out of my thoughts. Setting my coffee mug on the table, I pick up my phone. The caller ID reads Daddy with a crown emoji beside it.

"Hello, Dad," I say, answering the phone.

"How are you, Delilah? Are we still on for lunch today?"

"You saw me before I went to work this morning," I reply, shaking my head and smiling. I can't believe he's worried about how I'm doing.

"It doesn't matter. A lot can happen in an hour or two."

"Really, Dad?" He's nothing if not protective. If the man had his way, I wouldn't work at all, but it hasn't always been like this. We only became close after my mom died and I moved to the states from Nigeria to live with him. My parents were divorced, so I lived in Nigeria with my mom until she passed when I was fourteen. But once I was here, my dad quickly made up for lost time, and we've been inseparable ever since.

"Yes, really." He chuckles before continuing, "But did you still want to meet for lunch? I forgot to ask you before you left the house this morning. I need to know if I should reschedule my meetings or not." Dad works as a mechanical engineer and sits on the board of Tesla, so he's able to adjust his schedule.

"If you can make it work, I'd still like to meet. I want to discuss my proposal with you before meeting the investors later." A group of investors are coming into my office today. With the help of my dad and my best friend, I have managed to build a successful architectural firm in just three years. Now, my plan is to expand my business into real estate development. As an architect, I only design houses; I don't build them. I want to develop and sell. It won't be easy, but it's possible with the right set of investors. And I'm up for the challenge.

"No problem, dear. I'll have Jeremy pick you up from your office."

"No need to send your driver; I'll meet you there."

"Alright, see you later dear, bye," he says, hanging up the phone.

Despite myself, I can't help the smile stretching across my face as I look through my proposal once more. This is going to be a huge step, both for the company and for myself. Something big is going to happen today, I can feel it. And I can't wait.

***

I finally make it back to the office after spending more time than I meant to at lunch with Dad. I was so focused on pitching my proposal to him I forgot I also had to be on time for the actual meeting. I rush into the room, hoping the investors might be late and my absence won't be why the discussion hasn't started.

"Oh, thank God. They haven't arrived," I say, walking into the mostly empty boardroom.

"You are fortunate," Camila-my best friend and partner-says, turning around in her seat as I enter. I'd met Camila in college, and shortly after graduating when we were twenty-two, we'd started our company- D&C Inc. She's my partner, but her skillset is altogether different. Camila is an engineer, and a brilliant one at that. I couldn't imagine working without her. Though we both bring something different to our company, we always make a point to sit side-by-side during any meetings to show our level of authority is equal.

Getting comfortable in the chair beside hers, I notice how she's adjusting her appearance, using her phone's front-camera to see herself.. Her hand fluffs her black hair and she lightly pinches her cheeks making them rosy before smacking her lips against each other to spread her light pink lipstick.

"Why are you checking yourself out, Camila? We are about to have a business meeting, not a double date."

"I know, but have you seen the man coming to negotiate? He's hot. I have to look my best, and so do you." Camila tries to undo a few of my top buttons.

"Why are you trying to show off my cleavage?" I slap her hands away from my blouse.

"If I can't win his heart, maybe you can. It's long overdue for you to get a boyfriend," she says, moving to fix my hair.

"Don't you have a boyfriend? And besides, there is no way I would date one of our investors. It wouldn't be professional."

"Danny and I broke up last night." A hint of sadness seeps into her tone.

"Again?" I ask, frowning.

"Yeah."

"How long has it been this time?" Camila and her boyfriend never stay broken up for more than a few days. It's an endless cycle of breaking up and getting back together. I don't know why my beautiful friend wastes her love on such an idiot. I hate Danny with a passion. He's an arrogant bully who takes my friend's feelings for granted. I wish she would see that he is not worth her time and leave him for good one day.

"It's only been a day, but I believe we're truly done this time."

"Yeah, and I am fair-skinned," I say, rolling my eyes and gesturing towards my obviously dark complexion.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm serious; we broke up for real this time. I am not going back to him, even if he begs me."

"Whatever," I huff.

"I am ser-"

"Miss Stephen," my assistant interrupts, poking her head through the door.

"Yes?"

"They're here, ma'am."

"Oh," I say, standing as she opens the door further to usher everyone inside.

Camila also stands, and we approach the door together, but my skirt snags on something as I'm walking. Bending down, I try to remove it without causing the fabric to rip. I successfully untangle my skirt from the edge of the table without ruining it, thankfully. It's high time I get new boardroom tables.

I lift my head, my hand stretching out to greet the investor but stop moving mid-way. Blinking rapidly to make sure my eyes are working correctly, I look at the man in front of me, and all I can think is what a sick joke the universe is playing on me right now. Anyone else among the billions of people on this earth could be here today, but it just had to be him. Are you kidding me?

His stunning gray eyes light up as Camila speaks to him. I watch as a smile spreads across his face the more Camila tries to make him comfortable. His dimples begin to show even with the slightest curve of his lips. A wave of pain goes through my heart the more I look at him. He hasn't changed one bit. His eyelashes are still the longest and fullest I have ever seen in my life, and the way they fan his face-Oh, Lord. He finally notices me, and I watch his plump, red lips pull into a smirk once they take in the shocked expression on my face. He steps closer, moving past Camila, but I can't move an inch. I just stand in place, waiting for him to get to me.

"Hello, darlin', it's been ages. Did you miss me?" He asks, filling the room with that broad southern accent of his.

When I hear his voice, the feelings I've held at bay in my heart all these years come back in full force, and without thinking, I lift my hand and almost land it hard across his face. Tears of anger build in my eyes as he holds my right hand in the air.

"Still feisty as before. I'm not surprised," he says, the smirk on his face growing wider.

"Get out." I pull my hand from his grasp and point toward the door.

"Ch-"

"Don't you dare call me that." I cut him off before the word leaves his mouth.

"Lilah, what are you doing?" Camila asks, rushing to my side. I'm sure she must be wondering why in God's name I would speak to our investor like this when I know we need him to make our dream a reality.

"I'll explain later, but right now, he needs to leave."

"Why? Do you know him? Did he do something to you?" She asks, looking between us, confused.

"Did he do something to me?" I repeat, laughing dryly. "I think I should let Mr. Beau Williams answer that himself."

"Mr. Williams," Camila says, turning around to face him.

"I forgot to mention during our meeting that I am Delilah's ex-boyfriend."

Camila's eyes widen, and she meets my gaze. "He's that Beau?"

"Yes, let me introduce you. Meet Beau Williams, my ex-boyfriend," I say, glaring at him. I can't believe he showed his face after what he did. I feel like killing him right now.

I pace up and down my office, thinking about ways to murder Beau. It felt so surreal seeing him after all this time. The nerve of him to show up today as an investor. Did he expect me to smile and welcome him? He must be on something to think I would forget what he did to me. Seven years have passed, but it doesn't mean I would open my arms wide and welcome him as if nothing had happened. It's going to take longer than that for me to forgive him.

"Lilah, you need to calm down. You look like you're about to kill someone," Camila says, sounding worried as she watches me.

"That's because I want to, or rather I need to." I say, fuming with anger.

"I'm very sorry I invited him. I swear if I knew it was the same Beau who broke your heart years ago. I would've never picked him to be our investor. I'm so sorry." Beau and I started dating when I was sixteen and broke up before I went to college, so Camila never met him. But she'd heard the stories.

"I know. You don't have to apologize. I'm sure Beau found out I was a partner here and did anything he could to become our investor."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think so, too. I wonder why?"

"I wish I knew, because I can bet it's not for a good reason. He is the devil, and the fact that he wants to be an investor in our company can only be because he has something bad up his sleeve."

"Oh my God, what are we going to do?" Camila asks, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes.

"I know it was hard to find an investor, but we must search again. There is no way Beau will be our investor on this earth. I'll never allow it."

"I won't either, but it was so hard to find someone, and now we are back to square one," Camila sighs, visibly overwhelmed with the whole situation.

"I know, but we have to find someone else. We don't have a choice."

"I'll try my best and start looking immediately."

"Thank you so much for understanding."

"You are my best friend, of course I understand." She softly smiles.

"You're the best." Some of the tension I've been feeling leaves me at Camila's words. We can fix this.

I walk over to my chair as she gets up from her seat and comments on the shift in my mood. "I'm happy you are no longer angry."

"Me too, and hopefully, I can forget I even saw him."

***

It's only been a few hours since Camila left my office, and I feel like removing my brain from my head. I'm so frustrated because my mind keeps returning to Beau. Everything seems to remind me of him. I completely lose focus on the work in front of me. My mind is consumed with thoughts of him. I hate that even after so many years, he still has such an effect on me.

"Fuck." My laptop bangs shut, and I pass my hands through my hair. "I hate you, Beau!" I scream at the walls of my office. God! Why did he show up today? Anyone could've been the investor. Why did it have to be him, God? Why? I pull at my hair in frustration.

Try as I might to clear my mind of him, it's impossible. Eventually, I decide to take the rest of the day off. It's understandable that I can't focus. I haven't seen the man in seven years, and the one time I do, he's clearly trying to find a way to ruin my life.

As I arrange my things to leave the office, I consider whether it's a better idea to go home or go somewhere else. Dad would be surprised to see me already home when he returns from work today. He will try to pester me into telling him why, which wouldn't be a good idea. If Dad knows Beau is in town, he will have his head. And I love my dad too much to have him go to prison. Maybe I could visit Tamara. If I'm lucky, she might not be too busy to talk with me right now. On my way out, I pass Camila's office and let her know I'm taking the day off.

I walk outside the parking lot and get into my pearl white Tesla. One call from my dad and I could have a new one in front of me in mere minutes. Perks of having a parent who sits on the board.

After what feels like forever, I finally make it to the restaurant where Tamara works as a manager and find a parking space. It's always like this around lunch time. I should've known better than to come now, but I didn't have a choice. Camila is still busy at the office, and Tamara is the only other person I can talk to. The car beeps behind me as I lock it before walking into the restaurant.

"Lilah, what are you doing here by this time of the day?" One of the servers asks as she walks past me with a tray filled with plates.

I smile in reply. "I missed your boss, so I decided to stop by and see her. Where is she?"

"In her office, I think."

"Alright, thank you."

I knock on the door of Tamara's office once I reach it. A voice inside tells me to come in.

"Hey, bestie," I say, stepping through the doorway.

"Lilah, what are you doing here?" Tamara asks, surprised to see me. We don't differ much in appearance. Dark-skinned, dark brown eyes, and natural dark hair, but Tamara's locks are highlighted with burgundy because of the braids she has in right now.

"You won't believe what happened today." I sit opposite her on one of the chairs facing her desk.

"What happened? Is Uncle Fred fine?"

Tamara and I aren't blood-related, but our families have known each other for so long that we might as well be. We went to boarding school together in Nigeria, even though she was born in the States. Her questions are not surprising since I'm a workaholic. The only reason I would leave work before closing time is if something terrible happened-which something terrible technically did. The devil himself appeared before my eyes today.

"Nothing is wrong with Dad," I reassure her. "But I did see him today."

"Him who?"

"Him." I don't want to say his name out loud. It will only make me angry again.

Tamara puts it together quickly. "Beau..." Her eyes widen as she says his name. Beau is the only possible person I could be referring to. I won't say his name when talking about him, and Tamara knows this.

"Yes, him. And you won't believe how."

"Tell me."

"He was the investor who came to the meeting today."

"No, you're joking." Tamara covers her mouth with her hand as her eyes continue to widen as I tell her the day's events.

"No, I'm not. Beau is the one supposedly interested in making my dreams come true. Beau, the devil." My brows pull together, etching a deep frown onto my face as I realize he just wants to crush my dreams instead of seeing them come to life. There is no other explanation for why he wants to invest. He knows I would never agree to work with him. I am sure he is just trying to ruin my life-again. Apparently, he feels he didn't do enough damage when he broke my heart.

"I can't believe this; he really came to your office today for an investment meeting?" Tamara sounds like she still finds the words coming out of my mouth unbelievable.

"Yes, he did."

"He must be mad then, because him thinking he could be an investor in your company after the way he broke your heart defies all logic."

"I agree. And I can't believe he's in Austin! Dad purposefully moved us here from Dallas, so I wouldn't have to deal with running into him. Now I think it's unavoidable."

"This is a big city; you might not have to worry about running into him, especially if you keep him from investing."

"I hope I don't, because if I do I might just claw those gray eyes out of his stupid head."

One of the things I had loved most about Beau was his eyes. They're so beautiful that when we were together, I would get lost in them constantly. But after what he did, I can't stand the sight of gray eyes.

"Let's hope for everyone's sake, neither of you sees each other again anytime soon." Tamara says wryly.

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Morning, Lilah," Camila says when I enter her office, her gaze staying focused on the papers in front of her.

"How did you know it was me without taking your eyes off the papers in front of you?" I sit on one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"You are the only person in this building who would enter my office before I say, 'come in'."

"Oh." I knocked but didn't wait for her to let me in.

"I know why you're here, but unfortunately, I don't have good news." She finally tears her eyes away from the pile of papers in front of her, taking off her glasses. The look in her eyes only increases my worry tenfold.

"Why is it suddenly so hard to find an investor?" I ask, exasperated. Camila has been trying for the past two weeks to find someone other than Beau to invest in our company, but so far, she has had no luck. I know it was hard to find Beau originally, but I don't understand why it seems more challenging to find someone else this time around.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling someone is preventing anyone from wanting to invest in our company."

I sit up at that. "Why do you think so?"

"When I couldn't find anyone to take a deal similar to the one I'd worked out with Beau, I contacted everyone who was initially interested but had wanted more shares since we were running out of options. But they're not interested at all anymore. I even tried persuading them by adding the percentage of the shares they had originally argued for. They wouldn't budge."

"That's odd. Someone must be offering them a better deal than us."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"Could any of our competitors be behind it?"

"Maybe. I asked Danny to help. He said by the end of today he should hopefully be able to tell me who is making our potential investors decline our offer."

"You asked Danny for help?" I ask, disgusted at just the mention of his name. "Aren't you guys broken up? Why would he agree to help his ex-girlfriend find out who is trying to ruin her company?" Danny is a lawyer, so it doesn't come as a surprise that he can help find out who is behind the investor problem. He has the connections. But that doesn't explain why Camila would ask him, or why he'd agree to help.

"About that-" She starts, but I raise my hand to stop her.

"You don't need to tell me."

I shouldn't be surprised they're back together. Their breakup lasted longer than I thought it would, but I'm sure they'll break up again soon. It's what they do.

"He apologized for what he did, and I didn't see why I shouldn't take him back if he's sorry."

"I know, the same as always," I huff.

"I know I say this a lot, but Danny and I are-"

"Are soulmates?" I finish for her. "I know, you don't have to tell me again. Just inform me immediately when he tells you who is trying to mess with us." I stand and turn towards the door.

"I will, don't worry." Camila calls after me.

"Thank you, see you later," I say, turning the doorknob and walking out, hoping for a miracle to fix this situation.

***

I park my car in front of Camila's house and walk to her front door. She only got a chance to meet with Danny an hour ago and asked me to come to her place immediately after talking to him. Danny must have found out who was responsible for our troubles. I wouldn't put it past Mr. Antony to be involved. He hates our company and would do anything to see it ruined. According to him, Camila and I are not qualified to be his competitors. He believes women should stay home and raise children, and only men should work. But we see him for what he is-a sad old man who has nothing better to do than bring down independent ladies like Camila and me. Every time he tells us we shouldn't be in the field and at home instead, he only shows how intimidated he is by us. Our company expanding into real estate would be a real threat to him. He has to be behind our inability to find an investor.

. Before I can grab the doorknob, Camila's front door is opened-leaving my hand hanging in the air. The face that greets me is not the one I was hoping to see.

"Hello, Lilah," Danny says, smiling. But I can tell it's fake, even though the only light source is the moon. Danny is dark-skinned. His black hair is styled in a low cut, and he has a beard. The Dolce & Gabbana suit he's wearing does little to hide his muscles. I'd be lying if I said he wasn't ripped. To sum it up, Danny is a gorgeous man, but even with all his handsomeness, he is the worst romantic partner I have ever met-except Beau if I'm including that horrible human being in the running, too.

"As I've said many times, it's Delilah to you." I push past him and walk into the house.

"I know; I just love to see that fire burn in your eyes whenever you get annoyed," Danny chimes from behind me. I don't need to turn around to see his expression. That ever-present smirk that I wish I could tear off his face. I risk a glance back when feel his eyes still on me. Danny licks his lips and winks at me before walking out the door. A shudder of disgust wracks through me.

How can he tell my best friend he loves her and then behave like that? The worst part is he tells Camila he's simply appreciating God's creations and would never do more than that, but I know it's a lie. I can't wait for the day Camila catches him in the act. Asshole, I direct the insult at the closed door. Hoping by some chance I never have to see his face again.

"From the look on your face, Dan must have called you by your nickname," Tamara observes as I walk into the kitchen. She sits on one of the kitchen stools while Camila cooks over the stove.

"You guessed right." I take my seat beside her. "I didn't know you were coming. I almost stopped by your restaurant on my way."

"I didn't plan to, but Camila called and mentioned she was making lasagna, and you know how much I love her lasagna," Tamara explains, practically drooling. Tamara and Camila became friends after I introduced them in college. We'd been a trio ever since.

"I don't understand, Lilah; why do you hate Danny calling you that? It's just a nickname," Camila says, stirring whatever she is cooking in the pan.

"I know it's just a nickname. But I don't want Danny to call me by my nickname because it will make him feel like we are friends, and we are not."

"But he is my boyfriend."

"I know, but that does not mean he is my friend. I respect him as your boyfriend, and that's enough"

"You know, if you got along with Danny, it would make me happy." Camila sounds sad. I know she wishes Danny and I would be friends, but unfortunately, I love her too much to pretend to like him. Someone has to call out his behavior.

"I know, dear, but enough about me and Danny. Did he find out who is behind our troubles?"

"You won't be surprised," Tamara says, chuckling.

"Why are you laughing? Who is it?" I ask, confused.

"It's your one and only sweetheart-Beau Williams." Camila answers.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope, it's him," Camila continues, "He has made anyone potentially interested in investing in the company back out. How he's doing it we don't know, but Danny is certain he is the one behind it."

"Why? Why would he be doing this? To gain what? I just don't understand." I shut my eyes and rub my temple as a headache begins to form, even thinking about him is making me feel stressed.

"There could only be one reason," Tamara states.

"Which is?" My eyes shoot open as I turn to face her, waiting to hear what she thinks.

"He wants to ensure he is the only person available for you to choose as your investor."

"I know that, but why? Why does he want to be our investor? It doesn't make sense, and it's annoying me."

"Have you thought about the possibility that he might want you back and this is a way to get mixed up in your life so he can be close to you?" Camila interjects.

"Did you smoke this evening, Camila?" I ask, looking at her, confused as to why she would say such a thing. "There is no way Beau is doing this because he wants me back. He broke up with me, remember? Not the other way around."

"Yes, and that's why it makes more sense that he would want you back. He must have realized he made a mistake."

"I doubt it," I scoffed.

"Then what other reason do you think he could have for doing this?" Tamar says.

"The only possible one."

"Which is?"

"He wants to see me fail, and I won't let him. I'll meet up with him this weekend and make sure he gets the hell out of my business." Beau thinks he's so brilliant, but he doesn't know who I am anymore. When I'm done with him, he will wish he never stepped foot into this city. I can't believe after seven years, he still wants to ruin my life. What kind of human being is he, for God's sake?

"How are you going to do that?" Camila questions.

"I'll tell him that if he doesn't leave this city and allow us to find a new investor, then I'll tell his mother what he's doing-I can bet that bitch doesn't know what he's up to."

"Perfect idea. There is no way she would let him invest in your company." Tamara says, smiling.

"Does she hate you that much? Does she have that kind of control over Beau?" Camila says.

"Yes." Tamara and I reply in unison.

This is the only way to get Beau out of my life. I'll do whatever I have to.